Video encoder, video decoder, video encoding method, video decoding method, and video encoding and decoding system

ABSTRACT

A method and a video decoder for decoding an encoded bitstream of video data in a picture encoding and decoding system are disclosed. The video decoder includes a motion compensation unit for calculating a position for a sample image portion using an encoded bitstream of video data having a motion vector and rounding information. The calculated position of a sample image is rounded with the rounding information. The rounding information indicates the accuracy for rounding, and it is decoded from the bitstream. An image reconstruction unit reconstructs a decoded image portion of the video data from the sample image portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No.11/352,377, filed Feb. 13, 2006, which in turn is a divisional ofapplication Ser. No. 10/086,446, filed on Mar. 4, 2002, which in turn isa divisional of application Ser. No. 09/180,188, filed on Jan. 19, 1999(now U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,815 issued Jun. 11, 2002) and for whichpriority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120. Application Ser. No.09/180,188 is the national phase of PCT International Application No.PCT/JP97/03825 filed on Oct. 23, 2997 under 35 U.S.C. §371. Thisapplication also claims priority of Application No. PCT/JP97/00834 filedin Japan on Mar. 17, 1997 under 35 U.S.C. §119. The entire contents ofeach of the above-identified applications are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a highly efficient picture (image)encoding and decoding system for performing motion compensatedprediction of a picture (image) to be encoded or decoded for encoding aprediction error, and for decoding reference picture (image) datatogether with the prediction error by referring to an encoded picture(image).

BACKGROUND ART

Conventional motion compensated prediction methods for performing highlyefficient encodation of a picture are described below.

The first example of a conventional motion compensated prediction methodwhich will be discussed is a motion compensated prediction method usingblock matching that compensates for translational motion of an object.For example, in ISO/IEC 11172-2 (also known as the MPEG 1 videostandard), a forward/backward/interpolative motion compensatedprediction method using block matching is described. The second exampleof a conventional motion compensated prediction method which will bediscussed is a motion compensated prediction method using an affinemotion model. For example, “Motion Compensated Prediction Using AnAffine Motion Model” (the technical report of IE94-36, by the Instituteof Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers of Japan)describes the motion compensated prediction method in which thedisplacement of an object in each arbitrarily shaped segment is modeledand expressed using affine motion parameters, and in which the affinemotion parameters are detected so as to perform motion compensatedprediction.

Now, the conventional motion compensation method using block matching bya translational motion and the conventional motion compensation methodusing the affine motion model will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 42 shows a known motion compensated prediction which utilizes blockmatching. In FIG. 42, i represents a position of a block on a display asa unit used for motion compensated prediction; fi(x, y, t) representsthe pel value (x, y) in the block i at time t on the display; Rrepresents a motion vector search range; and v represents a motionvector (εR). Block matching is a process for detecting, within thesearch range R of a reference picture 201, a block whose pel value ismost approximate to the pel value fi(x, y, t) of the block i in an inputpicture 202, or for detecting a pel value fi+v (x, y, t−1) which willminimize a prediction error power Dv which may be expressed in one ofthe following equations (1).

$\begin{matrix}{{D_{v} = {\sum\limits_{x,y}\left\{ {{f_{i + v}\left( {x,y,{t - 1}} \right)} - {f_{i}\left( {x,y,t} \right)}} \right\}^{2}}}{or}{\sum\limits_{x,y}{{{f_{i + v}\left( {x,y,{t - 1}} \right)} - {f_{i}\left( {x,y,t} \right)}}}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

The value v which minimizes Dv will be the motion vector. In FIG. 42, ablock matching search method using real sample point integer pels in areference picture is referred to as an integer pel precision search, anda block matching search method using half-pels (interposed midwaybetween the integer pels) in addition to integer pels is referred to asa half-pel precision search. Generally, under the same block matchingsearch range, more search pel points can be obtained in the half-pelprecision search than in the integer pel precision search. Consequently,increased prediction accuracy will be obtained with the half-pelprecision search.

FIG. 43 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a motioncompensated predictor (also referred to as a block matching section)using a motion compensated prediction method in accordance with, forexample, the MPEGI video standard.

In the figure, reference numeral 207 is a horizontal displacementcounter, 208 is a vertical displacement counter, 211 is a memoryreadout-address generator, 213 is a pattern matching unit, and referencenumeral 216 is a minimum prediction error power determinator. Referencenumeral 203 is a horizontal displacement search range indication signal,204 is a vertical displacement search range indication signal, 205 isinput picture block data, 206 is an input picture block positionindication signal, 209 is horizontal displacement search point data, 210is vertical displacement search point data, 212 is a readout address,214 is readout picture data, 215 is a prediction error power signal, 217is a motion vector, 218 is a minimum prediction error power signal, and219 is a frame memory for storing reference picture data.

FIG. 44 is a flow chart showing the operations of the conventionalmotion compensated predictor having the above-mentioned configuration ofFIG. 43.

In FIG. 44, dx represents a horizontal displacement search pel point;

dy represents a vertical displacement search pel point;

range_h_min represents a lower limit in a horizontal displacement searchrange;

range_h_max represents an upper limit in the horizontal displacementsearch range;

range_v_min represents a lower limit in a vertical displacement searchrange;

range_v_max represents an upper limit in the vertical displacementsearch range;

D_min represents the minimum prediction error power;

(x, y) are coordinates representing the position of a pel in amacroblock;

D(dx, dy) represents prediction error power produced when dx and dy aresearched;

f(x, y) is the value of a pel (x, y) in an input picture macroblock;

fr(x, y) is the value of a pel (x, y) in a reference picture;

D(x, y) is a prediction error for the pel (x, y) when dx and dy aresearched;

MV_h is a horizontal component of a motion vector (indicating horizontaldisplacement); and

MV_v is a vertical component of a motion vector (indicating verticaldisplacement).

The block matching operation will be described in more detail, byreferring to FIGS. 43 and 44.

1) Motion Vector Search Range Setting

Range_h_min and range_h_max are set through the horizontal displacementcounter 207 according to the horizontal displacement search rangeindication signal 203. Range_v_min and range_v_max are set through thevertical displacement counter 208 according to the vertical displacementsearch range indication signal 204. In addition, the initial values ofdx for the horizontal displacement counter 207 and dy for the verticaldisplacement counter 208 are set to range_h_min and range_v_min,respectively. In the minimum prediction error power determinator 216,the minimum prediction error power D_min is set to a maximum integervalue MAXINT (for example, OxFFFFFFFF). These operations correspond tostep S201 in FIG. 44.

2) Possible Prediction Picture Readout Operation

Data on the pel (x+dx, y+dy) in a reference picture, which are distantfrom the pel (x, y) in the input picture macroblock by dx and dy arefetched from the frame memory. The memory readout address generator 211illustrated in FIG. 43 receives the value of dx from the horizontaldisplacement counter 207 and the value of dy from the verticaldisplacement counter 208, and generates the address for the pel (x+dx,y+dy) in the frame memory.

3) Prediction Error Power Calculation

First, the prediction error power D(dx, dy) for the motion vectorrepresenting (dx, dy) is initialized to zero. This corresponds to stepS202 in FIG. 44. The absolute value for the difference between the pelvalue readout in 2) and the value of the pel (x, y) in the input picturemacroblock is accumulated into D(dx, dy). This operation is repeateduntil the value of x and the value of y become x=y=16. Then, theprediction error power D(dx, dy) produced when (dx, dy) is searched, orDv given by numeral equations (1) is obtained. This operation isexecuted by the pattern matching unit 213 illustrated in FIG. 43. Then,the pattern matching unit 213 supplies D(dx, dy) to the minimumprediction error power determinator 216 through the prediction errorpower signal 215. These operations correspond to steps S203 through S209in FIG. 44.

4) Minimum Prediction Error Power Updating

It is then determined whether the resultant D(dx, dy) obtained in 3) hasgiven the minimum prediction error power among the searched resultswhich have been obtained so far. This determination is made by theminimum prediction error power determinator 216 illustrated in FIG. 43.This corresponds to step S210 in FIG. 44. The minimum prediction errorpower determinator 216 compares the value of the minimum predictionerror power D_min therein with D(dx, dy) supplied through the predictionerror power signal 215. If D(dx, dy) is smaller than D_min, the minimumprediction error power determinator 216 updates the value of D_min toD(dx, dy). In addition, the minimum prediction error power determinator216 retains the values of dx and dy at that time as the possible motionvector (MV_h, MV_v). This updating operation corresponds to step S211 inFIG. 44.

5) Motion Vector Value Determination

The above-mentioned 2) through 4) operations are repeated for all (dx,dy) within the motion vector search range R. (These operationscorrespond to steps S212 through S215 in FIG. 44.) The final values(MV_h, MV_v) retained by the minimum prediction error power determinator216 are output as the motion vector 217.

FIG. 45 schematically shows a motion compensated prediction system inaccordance with the MPEG1 video standard.

Under the MPEG1 video standard, a motion picture frame is typicallyreferred to as a picture. One picture is divided into macroblocks, eachof which includes 16×16 pels (color difference signal includes 8×8pels). For each macroblock, motion compensated prediction using blockmatching is performed. The resultant motion vector value and aprediction error are then encoded.

Under the MPEG1 video standard, different motion compensation methodscan be applied to different individual pictures. Referring to thefigure, I-pictures are encoded, without being subjected to motioncompensated prediction and without reference to other pictures.P-pictures are encoded using forward motion compensated prediction froma past encoded picture. B-pictures may be encoded using forward motioncompensated prediction from a future picture to be encoded, backwardmotion compensated prediction from a past picture, and interpolativeprediction from the mean value between the past encoded picture and thefuture picture to be encoded. However, forward/backward/interpolativemotion compensated predictions are basically all motion compensatedprediction using block matching which utilize different referencepictures for implementing the prediction.

As described above, block matching has been established as a main methodfor implementing motion compensated prediction for current videoencoding systems. Block matching, however, is an operation whichdetermines the translational displacement of an object for each squareblock such as a macroblock. Block matching is based on the assumptionthat “a picture portion having the same luminance belongs to the sameobject”. Consequently, in principle, it is impossible to detect motionsof an object other than square-block-based motions. For portions inwhich the object does not move according to a simple translationalmotion such as rotation, scaling up and down, zooming, orthree-dimensional motion prediction accuracy will be reduced.

In order to solve the above-mentioned motion detecting problems that areassociated with the conventional block matching method described above,motion compensated prediction using the affine motion model have beenproposed and aim at more accurately detecting the displacement of anobject including rotation and scaling of the object as well astranslational motion. This known solution is based on the assumptionthat (x, y), the value of a pel in a picture segment to be predicted isconverted to a reference picture pel value (x′, y′) using the affinemotion model as shown in the following equation (2). Under thisassumption, all the affine parameters are searched and detected asaffine motion parameters. Motion compensated prediction performed oneach arbitrarily shaped prediction picture segment after the detectionof affine motion parameters is proposed and described in “MotionCompensated Prediction Using An Affine Motion Model” (a technical reportof IE94-36 by the Institute of Electronics, Information andCommunication Engineers of Japan).

$\begin{matrix}{\begin{pmatrix}x^{\prime} \\y^{\prime}\end{pmatrix} = {{\begin{pmatrix}{\cos\;\theta} & {\sin\;\theta} \\{{- \sin}\;\theta} & {\cos\;\theta}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}C_{x} & 0 \\0 & C_{y}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}x \\y\end{pmatrix}} + \begin{pmatrix}t_{x} \\t_{y}\end{pmatrix}}} & (2)\end{matrix}$

The definition of θ, (Cx, Cy), (tx, ty) will be described later.

FIG. 46 shows a concept of the motion compensated prediction processusing the affine motion model.

In the figure,

i represents the position of a segment on a display used as a unit formotion compensated prediction;

fi(x, y, t) represents a pel (x, y) in the segment position i and attime t;

Rv represents a translational displacement search range;

Rrot, scale represents a search range for a rotated angle/scaled amount;

v represents translational motion vector including translational motionparameters (=(tx, ty));

rot is a rotation parameter (=a rotated angle θ); and

scale is scaled amount parameters (=(Cx, Cy)).

In the motion compensated prediction using the affine model, five affinemotion parameters including the rotated angle θ, scaled amountparameters (Cx, Cy) as well as the translational motion parameters (tx,ty) representing the motion vector must be detected. The optimum affinemotion parameters can be calculated by searching through all parameters.In order to find the optimum affine motion parameters, however, thenumber of the arithmetic operations required is enormous. Thus, based onan assumption that the translational displacement is predominant, twostages of affine motion parameter search algorithms are used. In thefirst stage, the translational displacement parameters (tx, ty) aresearched. Then, in the second stage, the rotated angle θ and the scaledamount parameters (Cx, Cy) are searched around the area which thetranslational displacement parameters (tx, ty) determined in the firststage represents. Further, minute adjustment for the translationaldisplacement is implemented. Among the possible parameters, acombination of affine motion parameters representing the segment whichhas produced the minimum prediction error power is determined to be thecombination of parameters for a prediction picture segment. Then, adifference between the prediction picture segment and the currentpicture segment is calculated and regarded as a prediction error. Andthe prediction error is encoded. The prediction error power inaccordance with motion compensated prediction using the affine motionmodel is given by the following equation (3):

$\begin{matrix}{D_{v,{rot},{scale}} = {\sum\limits_{x,y}\left\{ {{M_{rot} \cdot M_{scale} \cdot {f_{i + v}\left( {x,y,{t - 1}} \right)}} - {f_{i}\left( {x,y,t} \right)}} \right\}^{2}}} & (3) \\{{or}\mspace{101mu} = {\sum\limits_{x,y}{{{M_{rot} \cdot M_{scale} \cdot {f_{i + v}\left( {x,y,{t - 1}} \right)}} - {f_{i}\left( {x,y,t} \right)}}}}} & \; \\{{where},} & \; \\{{M_{rot} = \begin{pmatrix}{\cos\;\theta} & {\sin\;\theta} \\{{- \sin}\;\theta} & {\cos\;\theta}\end{pmatrix}}{M_{scale} = \begin{pmatrix}C_{x} & 0 \\0 & C_{y}\end{pmatrix}}} & \;\end{matrix}$

FIG. 47 shows an example of a configuration of a conventional motioncompensated predictor for performing motion compensated prediction usingthe affine motion model.

In the figure, reference numeral 220 is a translational displacementminute adjusted amount search range indication signal, reference numeral221 is a rotated angle search range indication signal, 222 is a scaledamount search range indication signal, 223 is a translationaldisplacement search range indication signal, 224 is a signal indicatinga position of an input picture segment on a display, and 225 is inputpicture segment data. Furthermore, reference numeral 226 is a horizontaldisplacement counter, 227 is a vertical displacement counter, 228 is atranslational displacement adder, 229 is a first minimum predictionerror power determinator, 230 is a memory readout address generator, 231is an interpolator, 232 is a half-pel interpolator, 233 is a rotatedangle counter, 234 is a scaled amount counter, 235 is a translationaldisplacement/rotated angle/scaled amount adder, 236 is a second minimumprediction error power determinator, 237 is a translational displacementminute adjusted amount counter, 238 is a translational displacementminute adjusted amount adder, and 239 is a final minimum predictionerror power determinator.

FIG. 48 is a flow chart showing the conventional operations of theabove-mentioned motion compensated predictor. FIG. 49 is a flow chartshowing the details of the affine motion parameters detection stepillustrated at S224 of FIG. 48.

In these flow charts,

MV_h[4] represents horizontal motion vector components (four possiblecomponents);

MV_v[4] represents vertical motion vector components (four possiblecomponents);

D_min represents the minimum prediction error power;

θ represents a rotated angle [radian];

Cx and Cy represent scaled amount parameters; and

tx and ty are motion vector minute adjusted amount parameters.

Furthermore, D(θ[i], Cx[i], Cy[i], tx[i], ty[i]) represent the minimumprediction error power obtained after the detection of the affine motionparameters when MV_h[i] and MV_v[i] have been selected;

dθ represents a rotated angle search pel point;

dCx represents a horizontal scaled amount search pel point;

dCy represents a vertical scaled amount search pel point;

dtx represents a horizontal displacement minute adjusted amount searchpel point;

dty represents a vertical displacement minute adjusted amount search pelpoint;

range_radian_min represents a lower limit within a rotated angle searchrange;

range_radian_max represents an upper limit within the rotated anglesearch range;

range_scale_min represents a lower limit within a scaled amount searchrange;

range_scale_max represents an upper limit within the scaled amountssearch range;

range_t_h_min represents a lower limit within a horizontal displacementminute adjusted amount search range;

range_t_h_max represents an upper limit within the horizontaldisplacement minute adjusted amount search range;

range_t_v min represents a lower limit within a vertical displacementminute adjusted amount search range;

range_t_v_max represents an upper limit within the vertical displacementminute adjusted amount search range;

D_min represents the minimum prediction error power;

(x, y) represents a position of a pel in an input picture segment to bepredicted;

f(x, y) represents the value of the pel (x, y) in the input picture tobe predicted;

fr(x, y) represents the value of a pel (x, y) in a reference picture;

ax represents a value representing horizontal displacement obtained byusing the affine motion model;

ay represents a value representing vertical displacement obtained byusing the affine motion model;

D(ax, ay) represents a prediction error power produced when ax and ayare searched; and

D(x, y) is a prediction error for the pel (x, y) when ax and ay aresearched.

Referring to FIG. 47 through FIG. 49, an operation of the conventionalmotion compensated prediction process using the affine motion model willbe described in more detail.

It is assumed in these figures that like elements or like steps whichare given like reference numerals and signs represent the same elementsor represent the same processes.

1) First Stage

In the first stage of the conventional operation, detection oftranslational motion parameters (=the motion vector) obtained by theprocess similar to the above-mentioned block matching process isperformed within a picture segment search range.

Referring to FIG. 47, the picture segment search range is set throughthe horizontal displacement counter 226 and the vertical displacementcounter 227 by using the translational displacement search rangeindication signal 223. Then, the search pel points are moved. Throughthe translational displacement adder 228, the value indicating theposition of a pel in an input picture segment is added to the countervalues. Then, the added result is supplied to the memory readout addressgenerator 230, and the pel value in a possible prediction pictureportion is read out from the frame memory 219. The readout pel value issupplied to the pattern matching unit 213, and an error calculationoperation similar to that used in the block matching method isperformed. This matched result is supplied to the first minimumprediction error power determinator 229 so as to obtain four possibletranslational motion parameters representing prediction errors in thereverse order of magnitude. These four possible translational motionparameters are expressed as MV_h[4] (horizontal components) and MV_v[4](vertical components). The operation of the first minimum predictionerror power determinator 229 is similar to that of the minimumprediction error power determinator 216. These process steps correspondto steps S221 and S222 in FIG. 48.

2) Second Stage

2-1) Preparations (Picture Segment Search Range Setting andInitialization of the Minimum Prediction Error Power)

For each MV_h[i]/MV_v[i] (0≦i≦3), the rotated angle/the scaled amountare searched around the minute space conterminous therewith. Thisoperation corresponds to step S224 in FIG. 48 and the detailed processsteps thereof are illustrated in FIG. 49, and will be described inconjunction with the operation of the motion compensated predictor shownin FIG. 47.

First, through the rotated angle search range indication signal 221 andthe scaled amount search range indication signal 222, the rotated anglesearch range and the scaled amount search range are set in the rotatedangle counter 233 and the scaled amount counter 234, respectively.Through the translational displacement minute adjusted amount searchrange indication signal 220, the translational displacement search rangeis also set in the translational displacement minute adjusted amountcounter 237. The second minimum prediction error power determinator 236sets the value of the minimum prediction error power D_min retainedtherein to MAXINT. These operations correspond to step S229 in FIG. 49.

2-2) Rotated Angle Search

The same operation is repeated for each of MV_h[i]/MV_v[i] (0≦i≦3).Thus, a description about the rotated angle search will be directed tothe case of MV_h[0]/MV_v[0] alone, and descriptions about other caseswill be omitted. The affine motion models ax and ay expressed in thefollowing equations and obtained by changing the rotated angle θ withinthe rotated angle search range while keeping the scaled amountparameters Cx and Cy and the translational motion minute adjustedamounts tx and ty unchanged:ax=dCx*cos(dθ)*x+dCy*sin(dθ)*y+MV _(—) h[i]+dtxay=−dCx*sin(dθ)*x+dCy*cos(dθ)*y+MV _(—) v[i]+dty  (4)

The absolute value for a difference between the pel value fr(ax, ay) ina reference picture segment and the pel value f(x, y) in an inputpicture segment is determined and accumulated to D(ax, ay).

Referring to FIG. 47, the above-mentioned operation is executed byfixing the counted values of the scaled amount counter 234 and thetranslational displacement minute adjusted amount counter 237,determining ax and ay given by equations (4) through the translationaldisplacement/rotated angle/scaled amount adder 235 based on the countedvalue of the rotated angle counter 233, reading out the pels necessaryfor calculating fr(ax, ay) from the frame memory 219 through the memoryreadout address generator 230, calculating fr(ax, ay) from these pelsthrough the interpolator 231, and determining the absolute value for thedifference between the pel value f(x, y) in the input picture segmentand the pel value fr(ax, ay) in the reference picture segment throughthe pattern matching unit 213. Referring to FIG. 49, these operationscorrespond to steps S231 through S234.

The above-mentioned operations are performed all around the rotatedangle search range. Then, the rotated angle θ which has produced theminimum prediction error within the rotated angle search range isdetermined through the second-stage minimum prediction errordeterminator 236.

2-3) Scaled Amount Search

The affine motion models ax and ay given by numeral equation (4) arealso obtained by fixing the counted value of the translationaldisplacement minute adjusted amount counter 237 as in the rotated anglesearch, substituting the rotated angle θ determined in 2-2) into numeralequation (4), and changing the scaled amount parameters Cx and Cy withinthe scaled amount search range.

The scaled amount parameters Cx and Cy which have minimized D(ax, ay)are obtained by performing the operations similar to those in therotated angle search. The scaled amount counter 234 counts scaled amountsearch pel points.

2-4) Translational Displacement Minute Adjusted Amount Search

The affine motion models ax and ay given by numeral equation (4) arealso obtained by using the rotated angle θ determined in 2-2) and thescaled amount parameters Cx and Cy determined in 2-3) and changing thevalue of the translational displacement minute adjusted amounts tx andty within the translational displacement minute adjusted amount searchrange.

Then, operations similar to those in the rotated angle search or thescaled amount search are performed. The translational displacementminute adjusted amount counter 237 counts translational displacementminute adjusted amount search pel points. In this case, tx and ty aresearched with a half-pel precision. Then, the half-pel values for tx andty are calculated through the half-pel interpolator 232, if necessary,before the half-pel value data for tx and ty are supplied to the patternmatching unit 213. The half-pel values are calculated as shown in FIG.50 and as follows in the following equation (5), based on the spatialposition relationship between half-pels and integer pels:Î(x,y)=[I(x _(p) ,y _(p))+I(x _(p)+1,y _(p))+I(x _(p) ,y _(p)+1)I(x_(p)+1,y _(p)+1)]/4; x,y:ODD[I(x _(p) ,y _(p))+I(x _(p)+1,y _(p))]/2; x:ODD, y:EVEN[I(x _(p) ,y _(p))+I(x _(p) ,y _(p)+1)]/2; x:EVEN, y:ODD  (5)

in which, both x and y are integers equal to or greater than zero. Whenx and y are both even numbers, half-pels having such coordinates of xand y will become integer pels.

The process flow of the operations illustrated in FIG. 49 will becompleted as described above.

2-5) Final Affine Motion Parameters Determination

A prediction error between a prediction picture segment and an inputpicture segment is then determined. This prediction error can beobtained by using δ[i], Cx[i], Cy[i], tx[i], and ty[i] given by theabove-mentioned affine motion parameters search from 2-2) through 2-4)for all of MV_h[i] and MV_v[i]. The picture segment position i and theset of affine motion parameters therefor which has given the smallestprediction error are regarded as the final search result. Theseoperations correspond to steps S225 through S228 in FIG. 48.

As described above, the affine motion parameters search requires anenormous calculational burden as well as a great many process steps.

FIG. 51 is a diagram showing a method of calculating a non-integer pelvalue produced when the rotated angle and the scaled amount aresearched. In other words, the figure is a diagram showing a method ofcalculating fr(ax, ay) through the interpolator 231.

In the figure, ∘ represents a real sample point in a picture, while •represents a virtual pel value obtained by performing theabove-mentioned calculation method. fr(ax, ay) are represented by Î(x,y) calculated in a reference picture and given by the following equation(6) (in which x=ax, y=ay):Î(x,y)=w _(x1) w _(y1) I(x _(p) ,y _(p))+w _(x2) w _(y1) I(x _(p)+1,y_(p))+w _(x1) w _(y2) I(x _(p) ,y _(p)+1)+w _(x2) w _(y2) I(x _(p)+1,y_(p)+1)w _(x2) =x′−x _(p)w _(x1)=1.0−w _(x2)w _(y2) =y′−y _(p)w _(y1)=1.0−w _(y2)  (6)

During the affine motion parameters search, pel matching is performedand the segment which has produced the minimum prediction error power isselected. Consequently, each time any of the above-mentioned five affinemotion parameters is changed, the possible prediction picture segmentshould be formed again. In addition, rotation and scaling of an objectproduces non-integer pel values. Thus, the operations expressed inequation (6) are repeated over and over again during the affine motionparameters search. Consequently, the affine motion parameters search isvery tedious and time-consuming.

As another motion compensation method using block matching for applyinga simple enlarged or reduced picture, Japanese Unexamined PatentPublication No. HEI6-153185 discloses a motion compensator and anencoder utilizing the above motion compensation method. In this method,a reference picture portion included in a frame memory is reduced orenlarged by a thin-out circuit or interpolator, and then a motion vectorindicating the above reduction or enlargement is detected. In thisconfiguration, a fixed block is extracted from the reference pictureportion to perform an interpolation or a thin-out operation, instead ofa complex arithmetic operation such as required by a motion compensationmethod using affine motion model. Namely, after implementing apredetermined process on an extracted fixed picture portion, theextracted picture portion is compared with an input picture. The processis a simple and fixed one, so that this method can be applied only to amotion prediction of a picture such as simple reduction or enlargementof an input picture.

The conventional motion compensated prediction methods are constitutedand implemented as described above.

In the first conventional motion compensated prediction method usingblock matching, formation of a prediction picture portion is implementedby translational motion of a macroblock from a reference picture. Thus,the process itself is simple. However, in this process, only thetranslational displacement of an object can be predicted, and predictionperformance deteriorates when rotation, scaling up and down, or zoomingof the object are involved in the motion.

On the other hand, in the second conventional motion compensatedprediction method using the affine motion model, a prediction picturesegment is formed using the affine motion model. Thus, when the motionof an object involves the more complicated types of motion such asrotation, this method can be applied. However, the operations needed forimplementing the process according to this method are very complex andsuch a motion compensated predictor must be provided with a complexcircuit having a large number of units.

In general, as the motion compensated prediction process becomes moresimplified, prediction often becomes less accurate. In contrast, themotion compensated prediction using the affine motion model increasesprediction accuracy at the expense of more complex and tediousoperations.

As for a decoder, any concrete method performing a complex process witha conventional configuration has not been proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the invention, a video decoding method fordecoding a bitstream of video data is provided. The method comprisingthe following steps: information receiving step for receivinginformation of a position of picture portion to which motioncompensation is applied and information of a number of correspondingmotion vectors and each value of the corresponding motion vectors,characterized by corresponding pel determining step for computing aprediction picture sample pel position corresponding to each pel withinsaid position of picture portion in case that the number ofcorresponding motion vectors is three, using following procedure:transforming a left upper corner coordinate value of a circumscribingrectangle within said picture portion by using a first motion vectorreceived, obtaining a provisional right upper corner coordinate value ofthe circumscribing rectangle by extending to make the distance betweensaid left upper corner coordinate and the provisional right upper cornercoordinate be power of 2, transforming said provisional right uppercorner coordinate value based on a second motion vector received, andobtaining a first virtual coordinate value as a result, obtaining aprovisional left lower corner coordinate value of the circumscribingrectangle by extending to make the distance between said left uppercorner coordinate and the provisional left lower corner coordinate bepower of 2, transforming said provisional left lower corner coordinatebased on a third motion vector received, and obtaining a second virtualcoordinate value as a result, obtaining a transformation equation havingthe transformed coordinate values including the first virtual coordinatevalue and the second virtual coordinate value in a numerator and adistance from said left upper corner coordinate value to saidprovisional right upper corner coordinate value and a distance from saidleft upper corner coordinate value to said provisional left lower cornercoordinate value in a denominator and computing a pel position based onbit shifting operation for division by using the transformation equationhaving the numerator and the denominator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a videoencoder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a motiondetector 8 illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing operations of the motion detector 8configured as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of a transformed block matching unit 21 according to afirst embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of thetransformed block matching unit 21.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing operations of the transformed blockmatching unit 21.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a motioncompensator 9 illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing operations of the motion compensator 9.

FIG. 9 is a explanatory drawing showing a picture object separatingoperation of a preprocessor 2.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a motiondetector 8 b according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a motiondetector 8 c according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of a transformed block matching unit 42.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of thetransformed block matching unit 42.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing operations of the transformed blockmatching unit 42.

FIG. 15 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of a transformed block matching unit 42 b according toa fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of thetransformed block matching unit 42 b.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing operations of the transformed blockmatching unit 42 b.

FIG. 18 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe otherform of transformed block matching according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe otherform of transformed block matching according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of acorresponding pel determinator 34 according to a fifth embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 21 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describetransformed block matching according to a sixth embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 22 is a explanatory drawing showing a filtering operation ofinteger pels constituting a prediction picture portion according to thesixth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of a transformed block matching unit 42 c.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of thetransformed block matching unit 42 c.

FIG. 25 is a flow chart showing operations of the transformed blockmatching unit 42 c.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a motioncompensator 9 b according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a flow chart showing operations of the motion compensator 9 baccording to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video decoderaccording to a seventh embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 29 shows an internal configuration of the motion compensator 9 ofthe seventh embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing an operation of the motion compensator 9of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 explains that the pel position is transferred by the motioncompensator 9 of FIG. 29.

FIG. 32 explains an example of transformation performed by the motioncompensator 9 of FIG. 29.

FIG. 33 shows a half-pel interpolation for computing pel position.

FIG. 34 explains an operation in case that transformation is performedby rotation and enlargement of the block.

FIG. 35 shows a configuration of a video decoder according to an eighthembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 36 shows an internal configuration of the motion compensator 90 ofthe eighth embodiment.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing an operation of the motion compensator 90of FIG. 36.

FIG. 38 explains an example of transformation performed by the motioncompensator 90 of FIG. 36.

FIG. 39 shows an example of computation of pel position implemented bythe motion compensator 90 of FIG. 36.

FIG. 40 is a flowchart showing an operation of the corresponding peldeterminator 37 c in the motion compensator of a ninth embodiment.

FIG. 41 explains an example of transformation performed by the motioncompensator of the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 42 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe aconcept of motion compensated prediction using block matching accordingto a first conventional related art.

FIG. 43 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a motioncompensated predictor (block matching section) of a video encoderaccording to the first conventional related art.

FIG. 44 is a flow chart showing operations of the motion compensatoraccording to the first conventional related art.

FIG. 45 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe a motioncompensated prediction method used in the MPEG1 video standard.

FIG. 46 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe aconcept of motion compensated prediction using an affine motion modelaccording to a second conventional related art.

FIG. 47 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a motioncompensator for performing motion compensated prediction using theaffine motion model according to the second conventional related art.

FIG. 48 is a flow chart showing operations of the motion compensatedpredictor according to the second conventional related art.

FIG. 49 is a flow chart showing details of an affine motion parametersdetection step illustrated in FIG. 48.

FIG. 50 is a explanatory drawing showing half-pel interpolationimplemented by a half-pel interpolater 232.

FIG. 51 is a explanatory drawing which describes a non-integer pelinterpolation method at a rotated angle/scaled amount search stepexecuted by an interpolator 231.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiment 1

A video encoder and a video decoder according to the present inventionmay be used in, for example, a digital video transmitting system, adigital video recording apparatus, a digital video storage data base, ora digital video retrieval and reading system using a satellite, groundwave, or priority communication network.

FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of a video encoder.

Referring to the figure, reference numeral 1 is an input digital videosignal, reference numeral 2 is a preprocessor, reference numerals 3 and13 are intra-/interframe (inside of the frame/between the frames)encoding selectors, 4 is an orthogonal transformer, 5 is a quantizer, 6is a dequantizer, 7 is an inverse orthogonal transformer, 8 is a motiondetector, 9 is a motion compensator, 10 is a frame memory (referencepicture (image)), 11 indicates motion parameters including the motionvector, 12 is prediction picture (image) data, 14 is an encodingcontroller, 15 is a mode selection prompting flag, 16 is anintra-/interframe encoding indication flag, 17 is a quantizing stepparameter, and reference numeral 18 is an entropy encoder, 19 is acompression video data. The essential elements of the present inventionare the motion detector 8 and the motion compensator 9.

The operation of a video encoder according to the first embodiment ofthe present invention will now be described.

The video encoder receives a video signal 1 representing a frame whichis a component of a color video sequence. The input video signal 1 isdigitized, preprocessed in the preprocessor 2 where it is subjected toformat conversion, and separated into block data. It is assumed hereinthat the separated block data includes a pair of the luminance signalcomponent and color difference signal components spatially correspondthereto. From now on, the luminance signal component will be referred toas a luminance block, while the color difference signal component willbe referred to as a color difference block.

Next, the intra-/interframe encoding selector 3 determines whether eachblock data is subject to intraframe encoding or interframe encoding.When intraframe (inside of the frame) encoding has been selected, theblock data representing input original picture (image) data suppliedfrom the preprocessor 2 is supplied to the orthogonal transformer 4. Onthe other hand, when interframe (between the frames) encoding has beenselected, prediction error block data, which is a difference between theinput original picture data 1 supplied from the preprocessor 2 and theprediction picture data 12 supplied from the motion compensator 9, issupplied to the orthogonal transformer 4. This mode selection betweenthe intraframe encoding and the interframe encoding may be implementedby the mode selection prompting flag 15 conditioned by the command ofthe encoding controller 14. The selected encoding mode is transmitted tothe entropy encoder 18 in the form of the intra-/interframe encodingindication flag 16 and multiplexed onto an encoded bitstream 19.

The orthogonal transformer 4 uses an orthogonal transform such asDiscrete Cosine Transform (DCT). The orthogonal transforming coefficientis quantized by the quantizer 5 by using the quantizing step parameter17 prepared by the encoding controller 14. Then, the redundancy of thequantized orthogonal transforming coefficient is reduced through theentropy encoder 18 and multiplexed onto the encoded bitstream 19. At thesame time, the quantized coefficient is dequantized by dequantizer 6 andis further subjected to the inverse orthogonal transformation throughthe inverse orthogonal transformer 7 such that the prediction errorsignal is restored. A local, decoded picture is generated by adding therestored prediction error signal to the prediction picture data 12supplied from the motion compensator 9. When the intra-/interframeencoding indication flag 16 indicates the intraframe encoding mode, thezero signal will be selected via the encoding selector 13, and theprediction error signal will not be added to the prediction picturedata. The local, decoded picture is used as a reference picture inmotion compensated prediction for subsequent frames. Consequently, thelocal, decoded picture data are written into the frame memory 10.

Now, the motion compensated prediction method and apparatus, which isone of the important features of this embodiment, will be described.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that block data separated by thepreprocessor 2 is subjected to motion compensated prediction. The motioncompensated prediction process is implemented by the motion detector andthe motion compensator 9. Then, in the motion detector 8, the motionparameters 11 including the motion vector for the block subject to themotion compensated prediction are detected. The motion compensator 9uses the motion parameters 11 and fetches the prediction picture data 12from the frame memory 10. The motion detection process is implemented byusing luminance blocks. The motion compensated prediction for colordifference blocks uses the motion detected result of the luminanceblocks. Now, a description will be directed to the motion compensatedprediction for luminance blocks alone.

First, the motion detection process will be described.

The motion detector 8 implements the motion detection process. Themotion detector 8 searches within a predetermined reference picturerange for a picture portion that is most similar to an input pictureluminance block. Then, the parameters representing the change of theinput picture block on the display are detected. In the conventionalblock matching method which has been described above in the conventionalrelated art, a block which is most similar to an input picture luminanceblock is searched. Then, the translational displacement of the inputpicture block on the display is detected in the form of the motionvector.

The motion detector 8 according to this embodiment implements bothconventional block matching using square blocks and block matching usingtransformed blocks which will be described later. The motion detector 8selects data exhibiting the higher prediction accuracy obtained by usingconventional block matching or transformed block matching.

Now, the operation of the motion detector 8 according to this embodimentwill be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the motiondetector 8 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing theoperations of the motion detector 8.

Referring to FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 is a block matching unit,reference numeral 21 is a transformed block matching unit, 22 is amotion compensated prediction mode determinator, 23 is a motion vectorobtained by implementing transformed block matching, 24 is the minimumprediction error produced by implementing transformed block matching, 25is a final motion vector, and reference numeral 26 is a motioncompensated prediction mode indication signal. It is assumed herein thatthe final motion vector 25 and the motion compensated prediction modeindication signal 26 are both included within the motion parameters 11.

The internal configuration of the block matching unit 20 and the flowchart showing the operations of the block matching unit 20 are asillustrated in FIGS. 43 and 44 showing the conventional block matchingunit. In FIG. 3, D_BM represents the minimum prediction error producedby implementing block matching, and D_DEF represents the minimumprediction error produced by implementing transformed block matching.

FIG. 4 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperational outline of the transformed block matching unit 21 which isone of the most essential structural elements of the present invention.FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a detailed internal configuration ofthe transformed block matching unit 21. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showingthe operations of the transformed block matching unit 21.

Referring to FIG. 5, reference numeral 29 is a horizontal displacementsearch range indication signal, reference numeral 30 is a verticaldisplacement search range indication signal, 31 is a horizontaldisplacement counter, 32 is a vertical displacement counter, 33 is arotated angle counter, 34 is a corresponding pel determinator, andreference numeral 35 is a memory readout address generator. The patternmatching unit 213 and the minimum prediction error power determinator216 perform the same operations as those of the corresponding structuralelements illustrated in FIG. 47.

Referring to FIG. 6,

dx represents a horizontal displacement search pel point;

dy represents a vertical displacement search pel point;

range_h_min represents a lower limit within a horizontal search range;

range_h_max represents an upper limit within the horizontal searchrange;

range_v_min represents a lower limit within a vertical search range;

range_v_max represents an upper limit within the vertical search range;

D_min represents the minimum prediction error power;

D(dx, dy) is prediction error power produced when dx and dy aresearched;

(x, y) represents the position of a pel in an input picture block;

(rx, ry) represents a pel in a reference picture corresponding to thepel (x, y);

(rdx, rdy) are rotated angle parameters;

D(dx, dy) represents a prediction error for the pel (x, y) when dx anddy are searched;

f(x, y) represents the value of the pel (x, y) in the input picture;

fr(x, y) represents the value of the pel (rx, ry) in the referencepicture;

MV_h represents a motion vector horizontal component;

MV_v represents a motion vector vertical component;

ix represents an offset value for horizontal displacement (constant);

iy represents an offset value for vertical displacement (constant); and

block_size represents the size of the input picture block.

1) Motion Vector Detection by Using Block Matching

The motion vector for the input picture block is determined through theblock matching unit 20 by using the procedures and the operationsdescribed hereinbefore in relation to the conventional art.Consequently, the motion vector 217 and the minimum prediction errorpower D_BM 218 to be supplied from the block matching unit 20 areobtained. These operations correspond to step S1 in FIG. 3.

2) Motion Vector Detection by Using Transformed Block Matching

Then, the transformed block matching process is implemented through thetransformed block matching unit 21 (step S2 in FIG. 3).

Now, the transformed block matching process will be described in moredetail. It is assumed herein that an input picture block which includes8×8 integer pels is used as a unit for implementing the transformedblock matching process.

2-1) Operation Outline

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the transformed block matching processimplemented by the transformed block matching unit 21.

Referring to the figure, an input picture 27 is encoded by using motioncompensated prediction. For example, a frame (picture) within thepreprocessor 2, that is, a reference picture 28 is a local decoded frame(picture) which had been encoded prior to the input picture 27 andstored in the frame memory 10. ∘ represents a real sample integer pel ina frame portion represented by the luminance signal, x represents ahalf-pel interposed midway between the real sample integer pels. Herein,(the luminance block of) the input picture block is a picture portionincluding 8×8 (integer pels) in the input picture 27, while thetransformed block is a picture portion including □ pels in the referencepicture 28 of possible prediction picture. The output of the framememory 10 and the output of the preprocessor 2, both of which areindicated by parenthesized reference numerals in FIGS. 1 and 2, areextracted and supplied to the transformed block matching unit 21 in themotion detector 8 and compared.

In this embodiment, a transformed block is defined to be a pictureportion rotated 45 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise relative to theluminance block of the reference picture and having four sides √{squareroot over (2)} times scaled up from the sides of the input pictureblock. That is, a length of the reference picture block becomes1/√{square root over (2)} times of the length of the input picture.Intervals of the pels within the reference picture block becomesidentical to horizontal/vertical length of intervals of the samplepoints of the input digital picture 1 of the frame. The transformedblock in this embodiment includes only integer pels from the referencepicture 28. Namely, transformed block matching according to thisembodiment is a process for finding, within a given search range, atransformed block that is most similar to the luminance block of theinput picture block including 8×8 integer pels in the reference picture28 as shown in FIG. 4.

2-2) Initial Settings (Transformed Block Search Range Setting, InitialValue Setting)

Because an input picture block has a different shape than a possibleprediction picture portion, it is necessary to specify the startingpoint of the motion vector to be detected. Namely, a one-to-onecorrespondence is established in advance between the integer pelsconstituting the input picture luminance block and the integer pelsconstituting a transformed block within a prediction picture portion.

Herein, as shown in the dotted arrows in FIG. 4, the integer pel at theupper left corner of an input picture block is made to correspond to theinteger pel at the left top of a transformed block. In other words, thepossible prediction picture portion is a picture portion rotated 45degrees clockwise relative to the transformed block within the referencepicture 28 and having four sides 1/√{square root over (2)} scaled downwith respect to the sides of the transformed block. A change in thiscorrespondence will lead to a change in the rotated direction of thepossible prediction picture portion. In addition, because thisone-to-one correspondence is also established between the integer pelsof the input picture block and the integer pels of the possibleprediction picture portion, motion detection similar to that implementedby using block matching can be performed.

Namely, a shape for extracting picture portion of the reference picture28 in FIG. 4 is patternized for block matching and indicated by apredetermined address (pel position) comprised of only integer pels. Thedifference between the pel of the address and the pel included in theinput picture 27 corresponding to the pels of an original picture datais accumulated to determine a minimum prediction error power.Consequently, block matching is implemented only by indicating theaddress without complex operation, which enables a high-speed blockmatching. Furthermore, by providing a various addressing (indicating pelposition), an indication can be flexible to extract the referencepicture portion such as rotating, combination of rotating and enlargingor reducing other than simply enlarging, reducing.

More specifically, a transformed block search range for implementingtransformed block matching is set in the horizontal displacement counter31 and the vertical displacement counter 32 through the horizontaldisplacement search range indication signal 29 and the verticaldisplacement search range indication signal 30. Then, in the minimumprediction error power determinator 216, the minimum prediction errorpower D_min is set to a maximum integer value MAXINT (OxFFFFFFFF, forexample). These operations correspond to step S4 in FIG. 6.

2-3) Block Transformation Parameters Setting

In this embodiment, rdx and rdy shown in steps S6 and S8 in FIG. 6 willbe used as block transformation parameters. The setting of theseparameters is implemented by the rotated angle counter 33 such that theblock to be transformed within the reference picture illustrated in FIG.4 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise. The value of y is regarded as theinitial value of rdx or rdy. Then, each time x is incremented, rdx isincremented, and rdy is decremented. These operations correspond tosteps S6 through S8 in FIG. 6. The setting in this way is implementedsuch that the block to be transformed is rotated clockwise. If thesetting is done as rdy=−y at step S6, and ry=iy+(rdy++) at step S8, theblock to be transformed will be rotated counterclockwise. The operationof step S8 can be also represented as rx=ix+(rdx+1) and ry=iy+(rdy−1).

Namely, an addressing of pels to be extracted from the reference picture28 is indicated at step S8. An address of integer pels rotated 45degrees clockwise is indicated as next pels rx, ry. At step S12, thisoperation is repeated until addressing of the pel equals to block sizeof x, and is also repeated until addressing of the pel equals to blocksize of y at step S14. In this way, a prediction error of the pelextracted by addressing at step S8 is detected at step S9, and the erroris accumulated at step S10. As shown in the operation flow of FIG. 6, nocomputation is needed, and high-speed processing can be performed. Theoperation of step S10 can be also represented asD(dx,dy)=D(dx,dy)+D(x,y). Similarly, the operations of steps S11, S13,S17 and S19 are represented as x=x+1, y=y+1.

This can be also said in flowcharts which will be described hereinafter.

2-4) Possible Prediction Picture Portion Readout Operation

First, the reference picture portion pel (rx, ry) corresponding to theinput picture block pel (x, y) in the input picture luminance block isdetermined. In other words, the initial positioning correspondencebetween the integer pels of the input picture block and the integer pelsof the possible prediction picture portion shown in FIG. 4 isestablished. The corresponding pel determinator 34 implements thisoperation. As shown at step S8 in FIG. 6, rx and ry can be obtained byadding rdx and rdy obtained in 2-3) to the predetermined offset value ixand iy, respectively. Then, data on a reference picture portion pel(rx+dx, ry+dy) is fetched from the frame memory. The memory readoutaddress generator 35, shown in FIG. 5, receives the value of dx from thehorizontal displacement counter 31, the value of dy from the verticaldisplacement counter 32, and the value of rx and ry from thecorresponding pel determinator 34 so as to generate the address for thepel (rx+dx, ry+dy) in the frame memory.

2-5) Prediction Error Power Calculation

First, the prediction error power D(dx, dy), produced from the motionvector indicating the pel position (dx, dy), is initialized to zero.This operation corresponds to step S5 in FIG. 6. The absolute value fora difference between the pel value read out in 2-4) and the value of thepel corresponding thereto in the input picture luminance block isaccumulated to D(dx, dy). This operation is repeated until the conditionx=y=block_size holds (in this case, the operation is repeated untilblock_size=8 holds). Then, the prediction error power D(dx, dy) producedfrom the motion vector indicating the pel position (dx, dy) can beobtained. The pattern matching unit 213 illustrated in FIG. 5 implementsthis operation. The pattern matching unit 213 supplies D(dx, dy) to theminimum prediction error power determinator 216 through the predictionerror power signal 215.

These operations correspond to steps S9 through S14 in FIG. 6.

2-6) Minimum Prediction Error Power Updating

It is then determined whether D(dx, dy) obtained in 2-5) has producedthe minimum prediction error power among all the searched results thathave been obtained so far. The minimum prediction error powerdeterminator 216 illustrated in FIG. 5 makes this determination. Thisoperation corresponds to step S15 in FIG. 6. The minimum predictionerror power determinator 216 compares the value of the minimumprediction error power D_min retained therein with the value of D(dx,dy) received through the prediction error power signal 215. If only thevalue of D(dx, dy) is smaller than D_min, D_min is updated to the valueof D(dx, dy). Further, the minimum prediction error power determinator216 retains the value of (dx, dy) at that time as the possible motionvector (MV_h, MV_v). This updating operation corresponds to step S16 inFIG. 6.

2-7) Motion Vector Value Determination

The above-mentioned operations from 2-2) through 2-6) are repeated forall the search pel points (dx, dy) within the transformed block searchrange (steps S17 through S20 in FIG. 6). The finally retained (MV_h,MV_v) within the minimum prediction error power determinator 216 areoutput as the motion vector 23.

As described above, a prediction picture portion which has produced theminimum prediction error power and therefore is most similar to an inputpicture block is searched. The displacement from the predeterminedstarting pel point of the selected prediction picture portion as aresult of the transformed block search is obtained and expressed interms of the motion vector 23. The prediction error power D_DEF 24produced at that time is also retained.

3) Final Motion Compensated Prediction Mode Determination

Next, the minimum prediction error power D_BM 218 supplied from theblock matching unit 20 and the minimum prediction error power D_DEF 24supplied from the transformed block matching unit 21 are compared by themotion compensated prediction mode determinator 22. The smaller of theprediction error powers is selected to determine the final motioncompensated mode between block matching and transformed block matching.This operation corresponds to step S3 in FIG. 3.

The motion compensated prediction mode determinator supplies the final,selected motion compensated prediction mode indication signal 26 and thefinal motion vector 25 to the motion compensator 9 and the entropyencoder 18 in the form of motion parameters 11.

Next, the motion compensation process will be described.

The motion compensator 9 implements the motion compensation process. Themotion compensator 9 extracts prediction picture portion data fromreference picture data according to the motion parameters 11 suppliedfrom the motion detector 8. The motion compensator 9 according to thisembodiment supports both the conventional square-block-based blockmatching and transformed block matching using a specific transformedblock as disclosed herein. According to the motion compensatedprediction mode represented by the motion parameters 11, the motioncompensator 9 switches the operation between the conventional blockmatching and the transformed block matching to provide optimalperformance.

Now, the operation of the motion compensator 9 according to thisembodiment will be described.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the motioncompensator 9 of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operationsof the motion compensator 9.

Referring to FIG. 7, reference numeral 37 is a corresponding peldeterminator and reference numeral 38 is a memory readout addressgenerator.

1) Corresponding Pel Determination

By using an input picture block position indication signal 206 and themotion parameters 11 supplied from the motion detector 8, the samplepoints of the input picture block corresponding to those of theprediction picture portion in the reference picture 28 are determined.This operation corresponds to step S21 in FIG. 8. The corresponding peldeterminator 37 illustrated in FIG. 7 implements this process. When themotion compensated prediction mode, represented by the motion parameters11, indicates block matching, the corresponding pels will become thesample points of a reference picture translated from the positionindicated by the input picture block position indication signal 206 tothe area specified by the motion vector. This operation corresponds tostep S204 in FIG. 44, and is an operation for determining the positionof the pel (x+dx, y+dy) within the reference picture 28 when dx and dyare expressed in terms of the motion vector. When the motion compensatedprediction mode represented by the motion parameters 11 indicatestransformed block matching, the corresponding pels will become thesample points of a reference picture block rotated by a specified angleindicated by the input picture block position indication signal 206, asdescribed in the explanation of the motion detector 8 in the above 2-4),and then translated to the area specified by the motion vector. Thisoperation corresponds to step S9 in FIG. 6, and is an operation fordetermining the position of the pel (rx+dx, ry+dy) within the referencepicture 28 when dx and dy are expressed in terms of the motion vector.

2) Prediction Picture Data Readout Operation

The following operations correspond to steps S22 through S25 in FIG. 8.The memory readout address generator 38 receives the output of thecorresponding pel determinator 37 and generates the memory addressspecifying the position of the prediction picture portion within thereference picture 28 to be stored in the frame memory 10.

When the prediction picture portion includes half-pels, half-pel valuesare interpolated by the half-pel interpolator 232. This operation isimplemented before the prediction picture data is supplied from themotion compensator 9, and corresponds to steps S23 and S24 in FIG. 8.Whether or not the prediction picture portion includes half-pels isdetermined by the corresponding pel determinator 37 according to themotion vector value included in the motion parameters 11. Then, thedetermined result is supplied to a selective switch 36.

The transformed block matching unit 21 configured as illustrated in FIG.5 generates the corresponding pel points for a prediction pictureportion that includes only real sample points as shown in FIG. 4.However, when the prediction picture portion includes half-pels as well,the transformed block matching unit 42 in FIG. 13 will utilizeconfigurations including the half-pel interpolator 232 as will bedescribed later.

After aforementioned processes, the final prediction picture data 12 issupplied. In this embodiment, a description is directed to the casewhere a transformed block has been formed by rotating an input pictureblock by 45 degrees. The rotated angle may be specified arbitrarily,such as 90 degrees, 135 degrees, 180 degrees, and the like. In addition,depending on the determination of the values of dx and dy, other formsof rotation can be implemented.

Further, in this embodiment, a frame-based video encoder is described.When an input digital video sequence is separated into a plurality ofpicture objects through the preprocessor 2 and each of the pictureobjects (a picture portion having a common feature such as a motionfeature, a pattern feature, etc. or a camera subject, and the like) isregarded as or is included in a block-based picture portion, the presentinvention may be applied to this object-based video encoder.

Object-based encoding, for example, may be implemented by regarding aperson with a still background as a single picture object as shown inFIG. 9, dividing the portion surrounding the person into a plurality ofsubblocks, and encoding data on the subblocks including the person aseffective block data. Processes similar to those required for performingthe above-described transformed block matching and motion compensationmay also be applied to this case. This understanding also applies toother embodiments which will be described hereinafter.

In this embodiment, an encoder using an orthogonal transform encodingmethod is described. It is to be understood that the present inventionmay be applied to encoders using other encoding methods for encoding amotion compensated prediction error. This understanding also applies toother embodiments which will be described hereinafter.

Embodiment 2

Approximate displacement of a picture portion which will be subject tothe transformed block matching process is determined by the value of themotion vector representing the translational motion of an object.Consequently, when the picture portion which will be subjected to thetransformed block matching process is defined to be the portionrepresented by the motion vector 217 supplied from the block matchingunit 20 and when that picture portion is transformed and compared, thenumber of processing steps and the amount of processing time can bereduced. In this embodiment, a configuration which allows theabove-mentioned determination of approximate displacement will bedescribed. This method can be applied to other embodiments which will bedescribed hereinafter.

This embodiment will describe another configuration for motion detector8.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of themotion detector 8 b according to this embodiment. Reference numeral 39is a transformed block matching unit, reference numeral 40 is an adder,and reference numeral 41 is an initial search pel position indicationsignal. The transformed block matching unit 39 uses the initial searchpel position indication signal 41 instead of the input 206. Otheroperations of the transformed block matching unit are the same as thoseof the transformed block matching unit 21 described in the firstembodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a concrete circuit of the motion detector for obtainingapproximate values.

Referring to FIG. 10, the motion vector 217 supplied from the blockmatching unit 20 is added to the input picture block data 205 by theadder 40. Instead of the input picture block position indication signal,the added result of the adder 40 is supplied to the transformed blockmatching unit 39 as the initial search pel position indication signal41. The transformed block search range set through the horizontaldisplacement search range indication signal 29 and the verticaldisplacement search range indication signal 30 is set so as to besmaller than those set in the first embodiment. Thus, the time requiredfor implementing the repetitive operations from steps S17 through S20 inFIG. 6 can be reduced.

Embodiment 3

In the first and second embodiments, the transformed block portion inthe reference picture 28 includes only integer pels. In this embodiment,the transformed block in the reference picture 28 includes half-pels aswell as integer pels.

This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that themotion detector 8 and the motion compensator 9 illustrated in FIG. 1have different internal configurations, respectively. The operation ofthe transformed block matching unit in a motion detector and theoperation of the corresponding pel determinator of a motion compensatoraccording to this embodiment are different from those in the firstembodiment. The operations of other elements are the same as those inthe first embodiment. Consequently, the following description will bedirected to the operation of the transformed block matching unit and theoperation of the motion compensator. As in the first embodiment, theoperation of the motion detector 8 c and the operation of the motioncompensator 9 will be described separately.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of themotion detector 8 c according to this embodiment. FIG. 12 is acombination of explanatory drawings which describe an operation outlineof the transformed block matching unit 42 which is one of importantfeatures of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing adetailed internal configuration of the transformed block matching unit42. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operations of the transformedblock matching unit 42.

Referring to these figures, like structural elements and like stepswhich are given like reference numerals and signs represent the sameelements or perform the same processes.

First, the operation of the transformed block matching unit 42 will bedescribed.

1) Operation Outline

FIG. 12 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of the transformed block matching unit 42.

Referring to the figure, as in the first embodiment, reference numerals27 and 28 refer to an input picture to be predicted and a referencepicture, respectively. Reference sign ∘ means a real sample point(integer pel) in a frame represented by luminance signals, and referencesign x means an interposed pel (half-pel) interposed midway between theinteger pels. It is assumed herein that the input picture 27 including8×8 (integer pels) is (a luminance block of) an input picture block. Apicture portion comprised of □ pels within the reference picture 28 is atransformed block in a possible prediction picture portion herein.

In this embodiment, a transformed block is defined to be a pictureportion rotated 45 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise relative to theluminance block and having four sides 1/√{square root over (2)} timesscaled down from the sides of the input picture block. That is, a lengthof the reference picture block becomes √{square root over (2)} times ofthe length of the input picture. Intervals of the pels within thereference picture block becomes identical to horizontal/vertical lengthof intervals of the sample points of the input digital picture 1 of theframe. This block includes half-pels in addition to integer pels withinthe reference picture 28. Transformed block matching according to thisembodiment is a process for finding, within the reference picture 28, atransformed block portion which is most similar to the input pictureluminance block including 8×8 samples (hereinafter, samples mean integerpels or half-pels) as illustrated in FIG. 12.

2) Initial Settings (Transformed Block Search Range and Initial ValueSetting)

As in the first embodiment, a one-to-one correspondence is establishedin advance between the integer or half-pels constituting the inputpicture luminance block and the integer or half-pels constituting atransformed block within a possible prediction picture portion. Herein,as shown in the dotted arrows in FIG. 12, the pel at the upper leftcorner of the input picture block is made to correspond to the pel atthe left top of the transformed block. Referring to the figure, the pelat the left top of the transformed block is a half-pel which indicatesthat the motion vector represents a picture portion comprised ofhalf-pels in addition to integer pels. A possible prediction pictureportion herein means a picture portion rotated 45 degrees clockwiserelative to the transformed block within the reference picture 28 andhaving four sides √{square root over (2)} times scaled up with respectto the sides of the transformed block in the reference picture. A changein this correspondence will lead to a change in the rotated direction ofthe possible prediction picture portion. In addition, establishment ofthis one-to-one correspondence between the pels will lead to otherone-to-one correspondences between the pels of the transformed block andthe pels of the input picture block. This one-to-one correspondenceallows motion detection similar to that implemented by using blockmatching. The operations needed for setting the transformed block searchrange by using the transformed block matching unit are the same as thosedescribed in the first embodiment. The structural elements needed forperforming transformed block search range setting are illustrated inFIG. 13. This operation corresponds to step S26 in FIG. 14.

3) Block Transformation Parameters Setting

As in the first embodiment, rdx and rdy shown in FIG. 14 will be used asblock transformation parameters. The setting of these parameters isimplemented by the rotated angle counter 45. The value of y is regardedas the initial value of rdx or rdy. Then, each time x is incremented,rdx is incremented by 0.5, and rdy is decremented by 0.5. Theseoperations correspond to steps S28 through S30 in FIG. 14. The settingof the parameters rdx and rdy in this way is implemented such that theblock to be transformed is rotated clockwise. If the setting isperformed as rdy=−y at step S28 and ry=iy+(rdy+=0.5) at step S30, theblock to be transformed will be rotated counterclockwise.

4) Possible Prediction Picture Portion Readout Operation

First, the reference picture portion pel (rx, ry) corresponding to theinput picture block pel (x, y) in the input picture luminance block isdetermined. The corresponding pel determinator 46 implements thisoperation. As shown in step S30 in FIG. 14, rx and ry can be obtained byadding rdx and rdy obtained in 3) to the predetermined offset values ixand iy, respectively. Then, data on the reference picture portion pel(rx+dx, ry+dy) is fetched from the frame memory.

Next, pel (rx+dx, ry+dy) is fetched from the frame memory. The memoryreadout address generator 47 illustrated in FIG. 13 receives the valueof dx from the horizontal displacement counter 31, the value of dy fromthe vertical displacement counter 32, and the value of rx and ry fromthe corresponding pel determinator 46 so as to generate the address forthe pel (rx+dx, ry+dy) to be stored in the frame memory. Readout data isused to interpolate the value of a half-pel through the half-pelinterpolator 232, if necessary, as shown in step S31 in FIG. 14.

5) Prediction Error Power Calculation

First, the prediction error power D(dx, dy) produced when dx and dy areexpressed in terms of the motion vector is initialized to zero. Thisoperation corresponds to step S27 in FIG. 14. The absolute value for adifference between the pel value read out in 4) and the correspondingpel value of the input picture luminance block is accumulated to D(dx,dy). This operation is repeated until the condition x=y=block_size (inthis case, block_size=8) holds. Then, the prediction error power D(dx,dy) produced when the motion vector indicates the pel position (dx, dy)can be obtained. The pattern matching unit 213 illustrated in FIG. 13implements this operation. The pattern matching unit 213 supplies D(dx,dy) to the minimum prediction error power determinator 216 using theprediction error power signal 215. These operations correspond to stepsS32 through S37 in FIG. 14.

6) Minimum Prediction Error Power Updating

It is determined whether D(dx, dy) obtained in 5) has produced theminimum prediction error power among all the searched results that havebeen obtained so far. The minimum prediction error power determinator216 illustrated in FIG. 13 makes this determination. This determinationprocess corresponds to step S38 in FIG. 14. The determination process isthe same as that in the first embodiment. The value of (dx, dy) at thattime is retained as the possible motion vector (MV_h, MV_v). Thisupdating process corresponds to step S39 in FIG. 14.

7) Motion Vector Value Determination

The above-mentioned operations from 2) through 6) are repeated for allthe search pel points (dx, dy) within the transformed block search range(these operations correspond to steps S40 through S43 in FIG. 14). Thefinally retained value (MV_h, MV_v) within the minimum prediction errorpower determinator 216 are output as the motion vector 43.

As described above, a prediction picture portion which has produced theminimum prediction error power and, therefore, is most similar to aninput picture block is searched by using transformed block matching. Asthe result of the prediction picture portion search, the displacementfrom the predetermined starting pel point of the selected predictionpicture portion is obtained and expressed in terms of the motion vector43. The prediction error power D_DEF 44 at that time is also retained.

The above-mentioned motion vector 43 and the prediction error powerD_DEF 44 are used to determine the final motion compensated mode. Thefinal motion compensated mode is thus determined. This determinationmethod is the same as that in the first embodiment.

Next, the motion compensation process will be described.

The motion compensator 9 implements the motion compensation process. Inthis embodiment, the operation of the corresponding pel determinator 37is different from that in the first embodiment. Consequently, thefollowing description will be directed only to the operation of thecorresponding pel determinator 37. The overall motion compensationoperational flow is illustrated in the form of the flow chart in FIG. 8.

In this embodiment, the corresponding pel determination is performed asfollows:

When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by the motionparameters 11 indicates block matching, the corresponding pels willbecome the sample points of a reference picture portion translated fromthe position indicated by the input picture block position indicationsignal 206 to the area specified by the motion vector. This processcorresponds to step S204 in FIG. 44, and represents an operation fordetermining the position of the pel (x+dx, y+dy) within the referencepicture 28 when dx and dy are expressed in terms of the motion vector.

When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by motionparameters 11 indicates transformed block matching, the correspondingpels are expressed with the sample points of a reference picture portionrotated by a specified angle indicated by the input picture blockposition indication signal 206 and then translated to the area specifiedby the motion vector as described in 4) of the explanation of the motiondetector 8. This operation corresponds to step S32 in FIG. 14, and is anoperation for determining the position of the pel (rx+dx, ry+dy) withinthe reference picture 28 when dx and dy are expressed in terms of themotion vector.

The prediction picture data readout operation and prediction picturegeneration are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

Embodiment 4

In this embodiment, a description will be directed to the case where atransformed block is a reduced input picture block. With regard to thecase where a transformed block is enlarged relative to an input pictureblock, the operation will be similar and the description will beomitted. Thus, simplified transformed block matching and motioncompensation will be described.

Now, the operation of the transformed block matching unit 42 b in themotion detector and the operation of the corresponding pel determinatorin the motion compensator will be described in detail with reference toFIG. 16. For simplifying the description, it is assumed herein that thetransformed block matching unit 42 b is a variation of the transformedblock matching unit 42 illustrated in FIG. 13. The transformed blockmatching unit 42 b receives the same inputs as those with thetransformed block matching unit 42, and supplies variations of themotion vector 43 and the prediction error power 44. The correspondingpel determinator in the motion compensator 9 is also a variation of thecorresponding pel determinator 37 illustrated in FIG. 7. Consequently,this embodiment uses the transformed block matching unit 42 b and thecorresponding pel determinator 37.

FIG. 15 is a combination of explanatory drawings showing the operationoutline of the transformed block matching unit 42 b according to thisembodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a detailed internalconfiguration of the transformed block matching unit 42 b. FIG. 17 is aflow chart showing the operations of the transformed block matching unit42 b.

In these figures, the elements and steps assigned the same referencenumerals with the above-mentioned drawings will mean the same elementsand operations.

First, the operation of the transformed block matching unit 42 b will bedescribed.

1) Operation Outline

FIG. 15 shows the operation outline of the transformed block matchingunit 42 b. An input picture 27, a reference picture 28 and signs usedwithin the pictures are the same as described above. In this embodiment,a transformed block is defined to be a picture portion having four sideswhich are half as large as those of an input picture luminance block.Transformed block matching according to this embodiment is a process forfinding, within the given search range, a transformed reference pictureblock portion most similar to the input picture luminance blockconsisting of 8×8 samples as illustrated in FIG. 15.

2) Initial Settings (Transformed Block Search Range Setting and InitialValue Setting)

As in the first embodiment, a one-to-one correspondence is establishedin advance between the pels constituting an input picture luminanceblock and the pels constituting a transformed block within a possibleprediction picture portion. Herein, as shown in the dotted arrows inFIG. 15, the pel at the upper left corner of the input picture block ismade to correspond to the pel at the left top of the transformed block.Because a one-to-one correspondence is established between the pels ofthe input picture block and the pels of the possible prediction pictureportion, motion detection similar to that implemented by block matchingcan be performed. The operation needed for setting the transformed blocksearch range by using the transformed block matching unit is the same asthat in the first embodiment. FIG. 16 illustrates the structuralelements needed for performing transformed block search range setting.This operation corresponds to step S44 in FIG. 17.

3) Possible Prediction Picture Portion Readout Operation

In this embodiment, specific block transformation parameters will not beused. As shown in step S47 in FIG. 17, the reference picture portion pel(sx, sy) corresponding to the input picture luminance block pel (x, y)is obtained by adding x/2 and y/2 to the horizontal offset constant ixand the vertical offset constant iy, respectively. This correspondingpel determination is made by the corresponding pel determinator 48.Then, the reference picture portion pel (sx+dx, sy+dy) is fetched fromthe frame memory 10. The memory readout address generator 49 illustratedin FIG. 16 receives the value of dx from the horizontal displacementcounter 31, the value of dy from the vertical displacement counter 32,and the value of sx and sy from the corresponding pel determinator 48 soas to generate the address for the pel (sx+dx, sy+dy) to be stored inthe frame memory. Readout data is used to generate the value of ahalf-pel through the half-pel interpolator 232, if necessary, as shownin step S48 in FIG. 17.

4) Prediction Error Power Calculation

First, the prediction error power D(dx, dy) produced when dx and dy areexpressed in terms of the motion vector is initialized to zero. Thisoperation corresponds to step S45 in FIG. 17. The absolute value for adifference between the pel value read out in 3) and the value of thecorresponding pel in the input picture luminance block is accumulated toD(dx, dy) in step S50. This operation is repeated until the conditionx=y=block_size (in this example, block_size=8) holds in steps S52 andS54. Then, the prediction error power D(dx, dy) produced when the motionvector indicates the pel position (dx, dy) can be obtained. The patternmatching unit 213 illustrated in FIG. 16 implements this operation. Thepattern matching unit 213 supplies D(dx, dy) to the minimum predictionerror power determinator 216 through the prediction error power signal215. These operations correspond to steps S49 through S54 in FIG. 17.

5) Minimum Prediction Error Power Updating

Then, it is determined whether D(dx, dy) obtained in 4) has produced theminimum prediction error power among all the searched results that havebeen obtained so far. The minimum prediction error power determinator216 illustrated in FIG. 16 makes this determination. This operationcorresponds to step S55 in FIG. 17. The determination process is thesame as that in the first embodiment. The value of (dx, dy) at that timeis retained as the possible motion vector. This updating processcorresponds to step S56 in FIG. 17.

6) Motion Vector Value Determination

The above-mentioned operations from 2) through 5) are repeated for allthe search pel points (dx, dy) within the transformed block search rangeas indicated by steps from S57 through S60 in FIG. 17. The finallyretained dx and dy within the minimum prediction error powerdeterminator 216 are output as the motion vector 43.

As described above, a prediction picture portion most similar to aninput picture block with the minimum prediction error power produced issearched by using transformed block matching. As the result of theprediction picture portion search, the displacement from thepredetermined starting pel of the selected prediction picture portion isobtained and expressed in terms of the motion vector 43. The predictionerror power D_DEF 44 at that time is also retained.

The above-mentioned motion vector 43 and the prediction error powerD_DEF 44 are used to determine the final motion compensated mode. Thisdetermination process is the same as that in the first embodiment.

Next, the motion compensation process will be described.

The motion compensator 9 implements the motion compensation process. Inthis embodiment, the operation of the corresponding pel determinator 37is different from that in the first embodiment. Consequently, adescription will be directed only to the operation of the correspondingpel determinator 37. The overall motion compensation operational flow isillustrated in the form of the flow chart in FIG. 8.

In this embodiment, the corresponding pel determination is made asfollows:

When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by the motionparameters 11 indicates block matching, the corresponding pels areexpressed with the sample points of a picture portion to which thedisplacement indicated by the input picture block position indicationsignal 206 is added and then translated to the area specified by themotion vector. This process corresponds to step S204 in FIG. 44, andrepresents an operation for determining the position of the pel (x+dx,y+dy) within the reference picture 28 when dx and dy are expressed interms of the motion vector.

When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by motionparameters 11 indicates transformed block matching, the correspondingpels are expressed with the sample points of a picture portion to whichthe displacement indicated by the input picture block positionindication signal 206 is added and then translated to the area specifiedby the motion vector. This operation corresponds to step S47 in FIG. 17and represents an operation for determining the position of the pel(sx+dx, sy+dy) within the reference picture 28 when dx and dy areexpressed in terms of the motion vector. The prediction picture portiondata readout operation and prediction picture portion generation areperformed as in the first embodiment.

A transformed block according to any one of the above-mentionedembodiments may have any arbitrary shape according to the following twoassumptions:

1) One-to-one correspondence is established between the pels of an inputpicture block and the pels of a prediction picture portion.

2) Corresponding pels of the prediction picture portion in the referencepicture are integer pels.

A transformed block may have such a shape as that shown in FIG. 18 orFIG. 19. In addition, prediction picture portions may be reduced orenlarged at an arbitrary ratio so as to be transformed into variousshapes to allow block matching. By defining various shapes of theprediction picture portion in advance in this way, transformed blockmatching which gives the best match can be selected. In this case, theselected transformed block data is represented by the motion parameters11 and is supplied to the entropy encoder 18.

According to the above-mentioned embodiments, if only half-pels areinterpolated, motion compensation for various types of motion includingrotation and scaling down of an object can be performed. Furthermore,complex arithmetic operations which are required when using the affinemotion model are not needed for this invention. Thus, appropriate motioncompensated prediction can be implemented even for the picture portionwhere the prediction error cannot be minimized merely by using themotion vector representing a translational amount, or for which correctprediction cannot be performed.

In the embodiments described hereinbefore, a description has beendirected to the case where integer pels or half-pels are used as thepredetermined fixed pels of a transformed block. Other pels interposedbetween the integer pels at a 1:3 ratio, for example, may also be usedas the fixed pels. In this case as well, pel interpolation is not neededin the transformed block matching process, which is different from theconventional compensated prediction using the affine motion model. Thus,the number of steps needed for the process can be reduced, andhigh-speed processing can be performed.

Embodiment 5

In the embodiments described hereinbefore, determination of blocktransformation parameters for each pel or the process for expressing theposition of each pel in terms of the coordinates therefor is performed.Alternatively, corresponding pel determination may be made by preparingin advance a transformation pattern table such as a ROM storing thecorresponding coordinates for the respective pels and determining therespective pels of a prediction picture portion based on the coordinatesextracted from the transformation pattern table. Thus, transformed blockmatching and motion compensation having an arbitrary correspondencerelationship between the pels of an input picture block and the pels ofa prediction picture portion can be efficiently performed.

Now, the above-mentioned operation will be described in conjunction withthe first embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing another internal configuration(corresponding pel determinator 34 b) of the corresponding peldeterminator 34 illustrated in FIG. 5 which realizes another embodimentof the present invention. In this embodiment, corresponding peldetermination can be made by storing rdx and rdy in the ROM anddetermining the pel (rx, ry) corresponding to the pel (x, y) using rdxand rdy fetched from the ROM. Consequently, incrementation ordecrementation of the transformation parameters rdx and rdy as shown instep S8 in FIG. 6 are not needed. For making corresponding peldeterminations, the rotated angle counter 33 illustrated in FIG. 5 isalso not needed in this embodiment. Instead, corresponding peldetermination can be made by providing a ROM table (transformationpattern table 100) inside the corresponding pel determinator 34 b, asshown in FIG. 20. Through the corresponding pel determinator 34 b, thetransformation parameters rdx and rdy are fetched from thetransformation pattern table 100 based on the respective values x and yof the pel within an input picture block. Then, the transformationparameters rdx and rdy are supplied to the adder 110 and added to themotion vector data so as to determine the corresponding pel values.Then, the determined corresponding pel value data is supplied to thememory readout address generator 35. This method can also be applied toother embodiments described hereinbefore. Thus, if only a few ROM(transformation pattern table 100) memories are added to thecorresponding pel determinator circuit 34 b, the structural element forperforming arithmetic operations for determining corresponding pels isnot necessary and need not be provided. In this way, the correspondingpel determinator circuit 34 can be simplified and the number of thecorresponding pel determination processing steps can be reduced. Inaddition, corresponding pel determinations can be made for a transformedblock as shown in FIG. 21 which cannot be simply expressed in terms oftransformation parameters. Thus, a transformation pattern librarystoring more abundant transformation patterns can be conceived.

Embodiment 6

In this embodiment, an encoder is disclosed which can decreasevariations in the frequency characteristic of a prediction pictureportion that is separated from the reference picture as a transformedblock and which can reduce mismatches when implementing prediction foran input picture block.

When a prediction picture portion includes half-pels as well as integerpels, a variation in the spatial frequency characteristic occurs betweenthe integer pels and the half-pels. An input picture block includes onlyinteger pels. Consequently, this variation in the spatial frequencycharacteristic can become a factor which may cause a predictionmismatch. In this embodiment, after a transformed block has been definedsimilarly as in the other embodiments described hereinbefore, filteringof integer pels will be performed.

Interpolation of half-pels can be performed by filtering integer pelsthereabout at a [1/2,1/2] ratio. In order to do so, a low-pass filterfiltering only equal to or lower frequency component than the cos(ωt/2)is provided. Prediction picture portions defined in the embodimentsdescribed hereinbefore include both unfiltered integer pels and filteredhalf-pels generated by the above-mentioned filtering. Consequently, avariation in the spatial frequency characteristic will occur in theprediction picture portions. When prediction accuracy has been reduceddue to this variation, the unfiltered integer pels should also befiltered by the filter having a filter characteristic that is similar tothe filter characteristic described above. Thus, the prediction accuracycan be enhanced.

FIG. 22 is a explanatory drawing showing an example of theabove-mentioned filtering operation. FIG. 22 shows the case where alow-pass filter F is used to filter the integer pels at a [1/8, 6/8,1/8] ratio as shown in the following equations (7).Î(x,y)=F _(y) [F _(x) [I(x,y)]]F[I(n)]=(I(n−1)+6*I(n)+I(n+1))/8  (7)

This filter filters equal to or lower frequency component than{cos(ωt/2)}2 so as to reduce a deviation in the spatial frequencycharacteristic in a prediction picture portion. After the low-passfiltering, a one-to-one correspondence is established between the pelsof an input picture block and a prediction picture portion. Then,transformed block matching, determination of the motion vector, andmotion compensated prediction mode determination are made, as in theembodiments described hereinbefore.

A filtering operation and associated configurations of the transformedblock matching unit and the motion compensator for implementing thefiltering operation will now be described.

In this embodiment, the transformed block matching unit and the motioncompensator have configurations which are different from those describedin the above-mentioned embodiments. A transformed block according tothis embodiment is simply a reduced transformed block described in thefourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the transformed block matchingunit is regarded as a variation of the transformed block matching unit42 within the motion detector 8 c and is indicated by reference numeral42 c. Furthermore, the motion compensator is also regarded as avariation of the motion compensator 9 and is indicated by referencenumeral 9 b.

FIG. 23 is a combination of explanatory drawings which describe anoperation outline of the transformed block matching unit 42 c accordingto this embodiment. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing a detailedinternal configuration of the transformed block matching unit 42 c. FIG.25 is a flow chart showing the operations of the transformed blockmatching unit 42 c according to this embodiment.

In the drawings, elements or steps assigned the same reference numeralsas those in the aforementioned drawings mean the same elements oroperations.

First, the operation of the transformed block matching unit 42 c will bedescribed. With regard to operations similar to those described in thefourth embodiment, the description about these operation will beomitted.

1) Operation Outline

A transformed block can be defined in quite the same way as in thefourth embodiment. This embodiment is different from the fourthembodiment in that the integer pels of a prediction picture portion arefiltered. As shown in FIG. 23, Δ pels are provided in the referencepicture so as to be filtered. A transformed block is comprised of Δ and□ pels.

2) Initial Settings (Transformed Block Search Range and Initial ValueSetting)

These operations are performed in the same way as those described in thefourth embodiment.

3) Possible Prediction Picture Portion Readout Operation

First, the pel (sx, sy) corresponding to the pel (x, y) in an inputpicture block is determined in the same way as that described in thefourth embodiment. Next, the reference picture pel (sx+dx, sy+dy) isfetched from the frame memory. Then, it is determined whether the pel(sx+dx, sy+dy) is an integer pel or a half-pel. In other words, it isdetermined whether sx+dx and sy+dy are both half-pel components. Thecorresponding pel determinator 48 illustrated in FIG. 24 makes thisdetermination. This operation corresponds to step S61 in FIG. 25. Whenthe reference picture pel (sx+dx, sy+dy) has been determined to be ahalf-pel, half-pel is interpolated by the half-pel interpolater 232.When the reference picture pel (sx+dx, sy+dy) has been determined to bean integer pel, a filter 50 implements integer-pel filtering as shown inFIG. 22. This operation corresponds to step S62 in FIG. 25.

With regard to the following:

4) Prediction Error Power Calculation;

5) Minimum Prediction Error Power Updating; and

6) Motion Vector Value Determination,

these operations are implemented in the same way as the operationsdescribed in the fourth embodiment.

Next, the motion compensation process will be described.

The motion compensator 9 b implements the motion compensation process.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of themotion compensator 9 b. FIG. 27 is a flow chart showing the operationsof the motion compensator 9 b according to this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the filter 50 is provided within the motioncompensator 9 illustrated in FIG. 7. The corresponding pel determinator37 implements the same operations as described in the fourth embodiment.When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by the motionparameters 11 indicates block matching, the corresponding pel isexpressed with a sample point of a reference picture portion translatedfrom the input picture block position indication signal 206 to an areaspecified by the motion vector. This operation corresponds to step S204in FIG. 44. The reference picture pel (x+dx, y+dy) when dx and dy areexpressed in terms of the motion vector is thus determined.

When the motion compensated prediction mode represented by the motionparameters 11 indicates transformed block matching, the referencepicture pel (x+dx, y+dy) is expressed with a sample point included in areference picture portion to which a displacement indicated by the inputpicture block position indication signal 206 is added and thentranslated by an area specified by the motion vector. This operationcorresponds to step S47 in FIG. 17. The reference picture pel (sx+dx,sy+dy) within the reference picture 28 when dx and dy are expressed interms of the motion vector is thus determined. In either case, it isdetermined whether the reference picture pel is an integer pel or ahalf-pel. When the reference picture pel has been determined to be aninteger pel, the filtering of the pel as shown in FIG. 22 will beimplemented in the same way as that implemented by the transformed blockmatching unit for generating a prediction picture portion. Thisfiltering is implemented by the filter. The prediction picture portiondata readout operation and prediction picture portion generation will beimplemented in the same way as those described in the first embodiment.

The transformed block matching unit 42 c may implement the search for anunfiltered prediction picture portion or a prediction picture portionfiltered by the filter F and supply the searched result to the motioncompensated prediction mode determinator 22. Alternatively, thetransformed block matching unit 42 c may implement the search for anunfiltered prediction picture portion alone and then filter theunfiltered prediction picture portion by using the filter F so as todetermine the prediction picture portion exhibiting the greatestprediction accuracy.

When the transformed block matching unit 42 c has a facility for turningthe filter F ON or OFF, the filter ON/OFF information should be includedin the motion parameters 11.

According to this embodiment, only the filtering of integer pels canreduce a deviation in the spatial frequency characteristic of aprediction picture portion. Thus, appropriate motion compensatedprediction can be performed even for an input picture block where onlythe motion vector indicating a translational displacement cannotminimize a prediction error, or for which correct prediction cannot beperformed.

Embodiment 7

FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video decoderfor decoding compression encoded digital picture data, decompressing thecompression encoded digital picture data, and reproducing a pictureusing the motion compensated prediction method according to thisembodiment. Herein, a video decoder for receiving compression encodeddata (which will be referred to as a bitstream) 19 generated by thevideo encoder described in the first embodiment, decompressing thebitstream, and reproducing a complete picture will be described.

Referring to FIG. 28, reference numeral 51 indicates an entropy decoder,reference numeral 6 is a dequantizer, reference numeral 7 is an inverseorthogonal transformer, is a decoding adder, 54 is a frame memory, and56 indicates a display controller.

The decoder according to this embodiment is characterized in theconfiguration and operation of the motion compensator 9. Theconfiguration and operation of each element other than the motioncompensator 9 has been described, and a detailed explanation will beomitted. The motion compensator 9 is the same as that illustrated inFIG. 1. Consequently, an internal configuration of the motioncompensator 9 is as illustrated in FIG. 7, and an operation flow chartthereof is as illustrated in FIG. 8.

The operation of the motion compensator 9 having the above-mentionedconfiguration will be described.

First, the bitstream is analyzed through the entropy decoder 51 andseparated into a plurality of encoded data. A quantized orthogonaltransforming coefficient 52 is supplied to the dequantizer 6 anddequantized using a dequantizing step parameter 17. The dequantizedresult is subjected to an inverse orthogonal transformation through theinverse orthogonal transformer 7 and supplied to the decoding adder 53.The inverse orthogonal transformer is the same as that within theencoder, e.g., DCT, described hereinbefore.

The following three kinds of data are supplied to the motion compensator9 as the motion parameter 11: the motion vector 25 decoded from thebitstream by the entropy decoder 51; the transformation pattern data 26a; and the input picture portion position data 27 a showing the positionof the input picture portion (in this embodiment, a fixed size of block)in the display. In this case, the motion vector 25 and the input pictureportion position data is fixed values for each input picture portion.The transformation pattern data 26 a can be fixed value for each inputpicture portion, or can be encoded for using the same transformationpattern data for all input picture portions included in larger pictureconsisting of a plurality of input picture portions (e.g., a pictureframe, and VOP disclosed in ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11). The motioncompensator 9 fetches the prediction picture data 12 from the referencepicture data stored in the frame memory 54 based on these three kinds ofdata. The process for the prediction picture generation will bedescribed in the explanation of the operation of the motion compensator9.

The motion parameters 11 decoded by the entropy decoder 51 are suppliedto the motion compensator 9.

The motion compensator 9 fetches the prediction picture data 12 from thereference picture data stored in the frame memory 54 according to themotion parameters 11. According to the motion compensated predictionmethod of the present invention, a one-to-one correspondence isestablished between the pels of an input picture block and the pels of aprediction picture portion. Consequently, as in the motion compensatedprediction using the conventional block matching method, a singleprediction picture portion is determined by using the motion parameters11.

Based on the value of the intra-/interframe encoding indication flag 16,intraframe encoding or interframe encoding is selected. Then, whenintraframe encoding has been selected, the decoding adder 53 outputs theoutput of the inverse orthogonal transformer as the decoded picture data55. While on the other hand, when interframe encoding has been selected,the decoding adder 53 adds the prediction picture data 12 to the outputof the inverse orthogonal transformer and outputs the added result asthe decoded picture data 55. The decoded picture data 55 is supplied tothe display controller 56 to be displayed on a display device (notshown). In addition, the decoded picture data 55 is also written intothe frame memory 54 to be used as reference picture data for thesubsequent frame decoding process.

Next, the prediction picture generation by the motion compensator 9 isexplained hereinafter.

In the picture prediction method according to this embodiment, thecorrespondence between the pels consisting the input picture portion andthe pels consisting the prediction picture is predetermined by thetransformation pattern data 26 a. Accordingly, the prediction picturecan be generated by a simple address computation based on displacementby the motion vector 25 and adjustment by the transformation patterndata 26 a and interpolation.

FIG. 29 shows an internal configuration of the motion compensator 9.

In the figure, a reference numeral 37 indicates the corresponding peldeterminator and 38 indicates a memory readout address generator.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing an operation of the motion compensator.

FIG. 31 explains that a block extracted from the reference picture istransferred by an amount indicated by the motion vector to the pelposition of the input picture. FIG. 32 explains that addressing is doneto the transferred block by the predetermined transformation pattern.

In the above drawings, ∘ shows integer pel and x shows half-pel.

In the following, an operation of the motion compensator 9 of thisembodiment will be explained referring to FIGS. 29 and 30.

1) Corresponding Pel Determination

First, the corresponding pel determinator 37 computes a sample positionof the prediction picture corresponding to each pel of the input picturebased on the received motion vector 25 and the transformation patterndata 26 a. A reference position of the prediction picture correspondingto the present position of the input picture portion is determined basedon the motion vector 25. This process (step S71 of FIG. 30) correspondsto determining (i′, j′)=(i+dx, j+dy) when the input picture portionposition 27 a is assumed (i, j) and the motion vector 25 is assumed (dx,dy) as shown in FIG. 31.

Then, the pel (i′, j′) is adjusted based on the transformation patterndata 26 a and the sample position of the prediction picture is finallyobtained. FIG. 32 shows an example where the transformation pattern data26 a indicates “horizontal & vertical ½ reduction”. By thistransformation pattern data, an effective area of the prediction pictureportion becomes ¼ of an effective area of the input picture portionpositioned in the display. That is, the prediction picture is reducedfrom the input picture portion, thus the motion prediction accompanyingenlargement and so on becomes efficient. Concrete position adjustment isimplemented by obtaining the adjusted pel (i″, J″) corresponding to thepel (i′, j′) of the reference picture. This can be performed by thefollowing operation (step S72 of FIG. 30).

for (y=0; y<block_height; y++)j″=j′+y/2

for (x=0; x<block_width; x++)i″=i′+x/2  (7)

In FIG. 32, it is assumed that block_width=block_height=4, namely, ablock consists of 4×4 pels. In this case, a block can consist of anarbitrary number of positive integer pels for height and width of theblock.

The pel position (i″, j″) obtained above is output as a predictionpicture sample pel position corresponding to the pel (i, j).

2) Prediction Picture Generating Data Readout

The memory readout address generator 38 generates a memory addressindicating picture data position required for generating the predictionpicture within the reference picture stored in the frame memory 54 basedon the prediction picture sample pel position supplied from thecorresponding pel determinator 37. The memory readout address generator38 then reads out the prediction picture generating data.

3) Prediction Picture Generation

On addressing only integer pel position within the pels for generatingthe prediction picture, the prediction picture generating data becomespel positions constituting the prediction picture. On the contrary, onaddressing half-pel positions, the half-pel interpolator 232 operatesinterpolation of the prediction picture generating data to generatehalf-pels. FIG. 33 shows a concrete operation of half-pel interpolation.By a method shown in FIG. 33, half-pel is simply generated by additionand division by 2. This process corresponds to step S24 of FIG. 8showing a flow chart of the half-pel interpolator 232 described in thefirst embodiment.

The operation of the motion compensator 9 has been described abovereferring to FIG. 32. When the transformation pattern data includesinformation different from FIG. 32, transforming operation becomesdifferent.

An example of another transformation pattern is shown in FIG. 34. Inthis case, the corresponding pel (i″, j″) of the transformed block isobtained by the following.ix=iy=j′+2

for (y=0; y<block_height; y++)rdx=rdx=y/2;

for (x=0; x<block_width; x++)rdx+=0.5;rdy−=0.5i″=ix+rdx;j″=iy+rdy;  (8)

In this way, it is predetermined and specified as the transformationpattern data showing how the transformed block is extracted. Decodingcan be implemented by motion compensation of the block transformed bysimple addressing based on the transformation pattern data.

As described above, according to the video decoder of the presentembodiment, decoded picture can be obtained by simply computing samplepel positions from the encoded bitstream by efficiently predicting acomplex motion, which cannot be implemented simply by the translation.This can be implemented by providing the transformation patternspreviously.

Further, in this embodiment, decoded picture can be also obtained fromthe bitstream, which is obtained by the prediction error signal encodedin an encoding method other than the orthogonal transformation encodingmethod, by changing element except the motion compensator 9 for decodingthe prediction error signal.

Further, the above example of this embodiment, where decoding isimplemented by a unit of fixed size of block, can be applied to adecoder, where decoding is implemented by a unit of picture objecthaving an arbitrary shape consisting of fixed size of blocks (e.g.,Video Object Plane disclosed in ISO/IEC JTCI/SC29/WG11/N1796). Forexample, in a scene including a person in front of static background asshown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment, a bitstream having a pictureobject of a person and small blocks divided from circumscribingrectangle surrounding the picture object of the person. This bitstreamof effective blocks including the picture object is encoded and to bedecoded. In this case, the similar decoding process can be applied tothese effective blocks of the bitstream.

Embodiment 8

In the above seventh embodiment, the predetermined transformation andthe motion compensation is implemented only by addressing (indicatingpel position) using only integer pels or half-pels corresponding to thevideo decoder of the first through the sixth embodiments. In thisembodiment, another video decoder implementing more precise motioncompensation by computing other than half-pel interpolation onaddressing will be described.

FIG. 35 shows a configuration of the video decoder of the embodiment forextending compressed encoded digital picture and reproducing thepicture.

In the figure, reference numeral 90 indicates a motion compensator, 25 bindicates 0-4 motion vectors, and 60 indicates an interpolationprecision indicating data.

FIG. 36 shows an internal configuration of the motion compensator 90.

In the figure, reference numeral 37 b is a corresponding peldeterminator which inputs the motion vector 25 b, transformation patterndata 26 a, input picture portion position 27 a and the interpolationprecision indicating data 60 shown in FIG. 35 and determinescorresponding pel position. An interpolation processor 232 b computespel position interposed between the integer pels. In this case, theinput picture portion position 27 a is a fixed value for each inputpicture portion. The motion vector 25 b and the transformation patterndata 26 a can be fixed values for each input picture portion, or can beencoded for using the same motion vector and the same transformationpattern data for all input picture portions included in larger pictureconsisting of a plurality of input picture portions (e.g., a pictureframe, and VOP disclosed in ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11).

FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing an operation of the motion compensator ofFIG. 36, and FIG. 38 explains the same operation.

In the following, an operation of the apparatus of the aboveconfiguration.

Conventionally, corresponding pel is determined by only one motionvector representing the corresponding block. In this embodiment, pelpositions are determined by computation for determining correspondingpels described below from four pieces of input corresponding to fourcorners within the reference picture block. Then, the obtained pelposition is rounded to the precision indicated by the interpolationprecision indicating data to finally determine pel position.

The operation of this embodiment is identical to the seventh embodimentexcept the motion compensator 90. Namely, the entropy decoder 51analyzes the bitstream to divide into each encoded data. The quantizedorthogonal transforming coefficient 52 is decoded through thedequantizer 6 and the inverse orthogonal transformer 7 using thequantizing step parameter 17 and is supplied to the decoding adder 53.The decoding adder 53 outputs the prediction picture data 12 as thedecoded picture 55 with/without addition according to intra-/interframeencoding block based on the intra-/interframe encoding indication flag16. The decoded picture 55 is transmitted to the display controller 56to output on the display device and stored in the frame memory 54 as thereference picture.

The prediction picture generation of the motion compensator 90 will beexplained hereinafter.

In this embodiment, transformation equation is obtained using anecessary number of motion vectors 25 b based on the transformationpattern data 26 a. After determining sample pel positions of theprediction picture portion corresponding to each pel of the inputpicture portion by the transformation equation, the prediction picturecan be generated by performing simple interpolation to the precisionindicated by the interpolation precision indicating data.

In the following, the operation of the motion compensator 90 of thisembodiment will be explained by referring to FIGS. 36 through 38.

1) Corresponding Pel Determination

The corresponding pel determinator 37 b computes sample pel positioncorresponding to each pel within the input picture portion based on theinput motion vector 25 b and the transformation pattern data 26 a. Asshown in FIG. 38, the motion vectors 25 b mean four motion vectorsindicating respective motions of four corners of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion. A required transformationequation is obtained based on the transformation pattern data 26 a. Forexample, the following transformation equations are used:

1-1) Without Motion, Static State (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 0)(i′,j′)=(i,j)  (9)1-2) Translation (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 1)(i′,j′)=(i+dx0,j+dy0)  (10)1-3) Isotropic Transformation (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 2)i=((x1′−x0′)/W)*i+((y0′−y1′)/W*j+(x0′−(x0(x1′−x0′)+y0(y0′−y1′))/W)j=((y1′−y0′)/W)*i+((x1′−x0′)/W*j+(y0′−(y0(x1′−x0′)+x0(y0′−y1′))/W)  (11)

where,

(x0, y0): pel position of the left upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x1, y1): pel position of the right upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x0′, y0′): displaced pel position of (x0, y0) by the first motionvector (dx0, dy0)

(x1′, y1′): displaced pel position of (x1, y1) by the second motionvector (dx1, dy1)

W: x1−x0

1-4) Affine Transformation (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 3)i′=((x1′−x0′)/W)*i(x2′−x0′)/H*j+(x0′−x0(x1′−x0′)/W+y0(x2′−x0′))/H)j′=((y1′−y0′)/W)*i+((y2′−y0′)/H*j+(y0′−x0(y1′−y0′)/W+y0(y2′−y0′))/H)  (12)

where,

(x0, y0): pel position of the left upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x1, y1): pel position of the right upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x2, y2): pel position of the left lower corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x0′, y0′): displaced pel position of (x0, y0) by the first motionvector (dx0, dy0)

(x1′, y1′): displaced pel position of (x1, y1) by the second motionvector (dx1, dy1)

(x2′, y2′): displaced pel position of (x2, y2) by the third motionvector (dx2, dy2)

W: x1−x0

H: y2−y0

1-5) Perspective Transformation (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 4)i′=(A*i+B*j+C)/(P*i+Q*j+Z*W*H)j′=(D*i+E*j+F)/(P*i+Q*j+Z*W*H)  (13)where,A=Z(x1′−x0′)*H+P*x1′B=Z(x2′−x0′)*W+Q*x2′C=Z*x0′*W*HD=Z(y1′−y0′)*H+P*y1′E=Z(y2′−y0′)*W+Q*y2′F=Z(*y0″*W*HP=((x0′−x1′−x2′+x3′)(y2′−y3′)−(x2′−x3′)(y0′−y1′−y2′+y3′))*HQ=((x1−′x3′)(y0′−y1′−y2′+y3′)−(x0′−x1′−x2′+x3′)(y1′−y3′))*WZ=(x1′−x3′)(y2′−y3′)−(x2′−x3′)(y1′−y3′)  (14)

(x0, y0): pel position of the left upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x1, y1): pel position of the right upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x2, y2): pel position of the left lower corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x3, y3): pel position of the right lower corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x0′, y0′): displaced pel position of (x0, y0) by the first motionvector (dx0, dy0)

(x1′, y1′): displaced pel position of (x1, y1) by the second motionvector (dx1, dy1)

(x2′, y2′): displaced pel position of (x2, y2) by the third motionvector (dx2, dy2)

(x3′, y3′): displaced pel position of (x3, y3) by the fourth motionvector (dx3, dy3)

W: x1−x0

H: y2−y0

The transformation pattern data 26 a can take the form of a bit directlyindicating one of the above equations (9) through (13), or the form canbe bits indicating the number of motion vectors. The input pictureportion pel (i, j) can be corresponded to the reference picture portionpel (i′, j′) using the above transformation equations. On computation ofcorresponding pel position, the value of a prediction picture sample pelposition should be obtained to the extent of precision indicated by theinterpolation precision indicating data 60. For example, on rounding tohalf-pel precision, the sample pel position (i′, j′) obtained by theabove transformation equation should be rounded off to the half-pelprecision. On rounding to quarter-pel precision, the sample pel position(i′, j′) obtained by the above transformation equation should be roundedoff to the quarter-pel precision. This sample pel precision indicatingdata is extracted from the bitstream.

As has been described, in this embodiment, corresponding pel determiningrule is set directly by the motion vector 25 b and the predictionpicture sample pel position is determined based on the corresponding peldetermining rule.

2) Prediction Picture Generating Data Readout

The memory readout address generator 38 b generates memory addressspecifying an address of picture data required for generating predictionpicture within the reference picture from the addresses stored in theframe memory 54 based on the prediction picture sample pel positionsupplied from the corresponding pel determinator 37 b. Then, the memoryreadout address generator 38 b readouts prediction picture generatingdata.

3) Prediction Picture Generation

On addressing only integer pels of the pels included in the predictionpicture, the prediction picture generating data becomes predictionpicture pel without any changes. According to this embodiment, samplepel position obtained by addressing the prediction picture portion canbe pel value of predetermined precision as described above, for example,half-pel, quarter-pel. If the prediction picture sample pel is integerprecision, the interpolation processor 232 b generates integer pel valueof the prediction picture based on the indication of integer precisionsupplied from the interpolation precision indicating data 60. In thisembodiment, the corresponding pel determinator has already rounded offthe final sample pel position to the precision indicated by theinterpolation precision indicating data 60. The interpolation processorimplements the process of the following equation (15) as shown in FIG.39. If the prediction picture sample pel position is half-pel, theinterpolation process becomes the same as the process implemented by theinterpolator 232 described in the first embodiment.Î(x,y)=W _(x1) W _(y1) I(i _(p) ,j _(p))+W _(x2) W _(y1) I(i _(p)+1,j_(p))+W _(x1) W _(y2) I(I _(p) ,j _(p)+1)+W _(x2) W _(y2) I(i _(p)+1,j_(p)+1)W _(x2) =i′−i _(p)W _(x1)=1.0−W _(x2)W _(y2) =j′−j _(p)W _(y1)=1.0−W _(y2)  (15)

As explained above, the video decoder according to this embodiment canefficiently predicts motion having various complexity and obtain decodedpicture from the encoded bitstream by simple computation of the samplepel position using 0 through plural motion vectors.

In the video encoders of the first through sixth embodiments and thevideo decoder of the seventh embodiment use integer pel and half-pel foraddressing to implement a high-speed complex encoding and decoding ofthe picture by motion compensation of the transformed block.

On the contrary, though the video decoder of this embodiment isconfigured as the same as the foregoing embodiments, the video decoderof the embodiment computes for corresponding pel determination to obtainbetter matching of the reference picture block to the input pictureblock by better motion compensation, which enables to obtain more smoothmotion for block matching.

In this embodiment, as well as in the seventh embodiment, the decodercan decode a bitstream, which is obtained by prediction error signalencoded in encoding method other than the orthogonal transformationencoding method, by changing element except the motion compensator 90for decoding the prediction error signal.

Further, the above example of this embodiment, where decoding isimplemented by a unit of fixed size of block, can be applied not only toa decoder, where decoding is implemented by a unit of a frame of normaltelevision signal, but also to a decoder, where decoding is implementedby a unit of picture object having an arbitrary shape consisting offixed size of blocks (e.g., Video Object Plane), as well as the seventhembodiment.

Embodiment 9

The above explanation of the foregoing embodiments does not mention thenumber of pels included in one input picture block for detecting motion.Namely, the block can have an arbitrary height (H) of pels and anarbitrary width (W) of pels in the foregoing embodiments. In thisembodiment, the number of pels for H and W is limited to a number ofpower of 2 to simplify the computation of the pel position. In this way,the load of the corresponding pel determinator decreases, and ahigh-speed operation can be performed.

The decoder of the present embodiment is the same as the decoder of theeighth embodiment except an operation of a corresponding peldeterminator 37 c in the motion compensator 90. In the following, onlythe operation of the corresponding pel determinator will be explained.

FIG. 40 is a flowchart showing a process of an operation of thecorresponding pel determinator 37 c.

FIG. 41 explains the operation of the corresponding pel determinator 37c.

The operation of the corresponding pel determinator 37 c of thisembodiment will be explained below in relation to FIG. 40.

According to this embodiment, the corresponding pel determinator 37 creceives the motion vector 25 b, the transformation pattern data 26 a,the interpolation precision indicating data 91, and the input pictureportion position 27 a and computes the prediction picture sample pelposition corresponding to each pel within the input picture portion tooutput. In this case, the input picture portion position 27 a is fixedvalue for each input picture portion. The motion vector 25 b and thetransformation pattern data 26 a can be fixed value for each inputpicture portion, or can be encoded for using the same motion vector andthe same transformation pattern data for all input picture portionsincluded in larger picture consisting of a plurality of input pictureportions (e.g., a picture frame, and VOP disclosed in ISO/IECJTC1/SC29/WG11). In the following explanation, it is assumed that atmost 3 motion vectors are used.

As shown in FIG. 41, the motion vectors 25 b are from pel (x0, y0) topel (x0+W′, y0)(W′≧W, W′=2^(m)) and to pel (x0, y0+H′)(H′≧H, H′=2^(n)),which are points on lines extended from the left upper corner and theright lower corner of the circumscribing rectangle within the inputpicture portion at a distance representable by power of 2 from the leftupper corner. The following transformation equations (16) through (19)are obtained based on these motion vectors corresponding to thetransformation pattern data 26 a.

1-1) Without Motion (Required Number of Vectors: 0)(i′,j′)=(i,j)  (16)1-2) Translation (Required Number of Vectors: 1)(i′,j′)=(i+dx0,j+dy0)  (17)1-3) Isotropic Transformation (Required Number of Vectors: 2)i′=((x1″−x0′)/W′*i+((y0′−y1″)/W′*j+(x0′−(x0(x1″−x0′)+y0(y0′−y1″))/W′)j′=((y1″−y0′)/W′)*i+((x1″−x0′)/W′*j+(y0′−(y0(x1″−x0′)+x0(y0′−y1″))/W)  (18)

where,

(x0, y0): pel position of the left upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x1, y1): pel position of the right upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x0′, y0′): displaced pel position of (x0, y0) by the first motionvector (dx0, dy0)

(x1′, y1′): displaced pel position of (x0+W′, y0) by the second motionvector (dx1, dy1)

1-4) Affine Transformation (Required Number of Motion Vectors: 3)=i′=((x1″−x0′)/W′)*i+((x2″−x0′)/H′)*j+(x0′−x0(x1″−x0′)/W′+y0(x2″−x0′))/H′)j′=((y1″−y0′)/W′)*i+((y2″−y0′)/H′)*j+(y0′−x0(y1″−y0′)/W′+y0(y2″−y0′))/H′)  (19)

where,

(x0, y0): pel position of the left upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x1, y1): pel position of the right upper corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x2, y2): pel position of the left lower corner of the circumscribingrectangle within the input picture portion

(x0′, y0′): displaced pel position of (x0, y0) by the first motionvector (dx0, dy0)

(x1″, y1″): displaced pel position of (x0+W′, y0) by the second motionvector (dx1, dy1)

(x2″, y2″): displaced pel position of (x0, y0+H′) by the third motionvector (dx2, dy2)

The transformation pattern data 26 a can take the form of a bit sequenceconsisting of plural bits directly indicating one of the abovetransformation equations (16) through (19), or the form can be bitsindicating the number of motion vectors, as each transformationcorresponds to number of vectors.

By the above transformation equations, the input picture portion pel (i,j) can be corresponded to the reference picture portion pel (i′, j′). Oncomputation of corresponding pel position, the value of a predictionpicture sample pel position should be obtained to the extent ofprecision indicated by the interpolation precision indicating data 60.For example, on rounding to half-pel precision, the sample pel position(i′, j′) obtained by the above transformation equation should be roundedoff to the half-pel precision. On rounding to quarter-pel precision, thesample pel position (i′, j′) obtained by the above transformationequation should be rounded off to the quarter-pel precision. This samplepel precision indicating data is extracted from the bitstream.

As has been described, in this embodiment, corresponding pel determiningrule is set directly by the motion vector 25 b and the predictionpicture sample pel position is determined based on the corresponding peldetermining rule.

2) Prediction Picture Generating Data Readout

3) Prediction Picture Generation

As the operation of this embodiment in connection with the above 2) and3) is the same as the eighth embodiment, the detailed explanation willbe omitted.

As explained above, the video decoder according to this embodiment candetermine sample pel position in a high-speed by simple bit shiftingoperation instead of division by W′ or H′ on computing sample pelposition using 0 through plural motion vectors. The video decoder of theembodiment can efficiently predict motion having various complexity toobtain decoded picture from the encoded bitstream.

The motion compensation according to this embodiment can be applied to avideo decoder based on another encoding method by changing correspondingelement and the video decoder can obtain the same efficiency. Further,this embodiment can be applied to a decoder, where decoding isimplemented by a unit of picture object having an arbitrary shapeconsisting of fixed size of block (e.g., Video Object Plane), as well asthe seventh embodiment.

A video encoder and a video decoder of the present invention can becombined to configure a characteristic video encoding and decodingsystem.

Further, by executing the operations illustrated in the flow chartsdescribed hereinbefore, that is, by providing a transformed blockmatching step, a corresponding pel determination step, a motioncompensated prediction picture generating step, and a decoding addingstep, a characteristic video encoding and decoding method can beobtained.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, according to the present invention, real integersample point pels and half-pels interposed midway therebetween in atransformed prediction picture portion obtained by memory addressingalone are used to perform motion compensated prediction. Consequently,efficient and accurate motion compensated prediction can be performedfor a picture portion in which correct motion compensated predictioncannot be performed by only using a motion vector limited totranslational displacement. Further, this prediction can be implementedwithout performing complex arithmetic operations which are required whenusing the affine motion model. Motion compensated prediction using atransformed picture portion for various types of object motion whichcannot be expressed in terms of a numeral equation as well as objectrotation and scaling which are easily expressible in terms of a numeralequation can also be performed by the invention. A video decoder of thepresent invention can also recreate a high-quality picture efficiently.

Further, if only the memory addressing based on the corresponding peldetermination is performed, various object motion including rotation,scaling down, or scaling up can be correctly predicted withoutperforming complex pel interpolation such as when the affine motionmodel is applied.

Further, by using the motion vector representing a translationaldisplacement of an object through block matching, a transformed blocksearch range used in transformed block matching can be effectivelyreduced. Overall operation processes for motion compensated predictioncan also be reduced.

Further, if only the memory addressing is performed, various objectmotion including simply reducing or enlarging can be efficientlypredicted without performing complex pel interpolation such as when theaffine motion model is applied.

Further, corresponding pel determination can be made by using atransformation pattern table. Consequently, motion compensatedprediction for object motion such as that required for using the affinemotion model and represented by an arbitrary transformed predictionpicture portion and which cannot be expressed in terms of a simplenumerical equation can be performed.

Further, by using a filter, a variation in the spatial frequencycharacteristic within a transformed block can be eliminated. Thus, aprediction mismatch can be reduced.

According to the present invention, a video decoder combined with avideo encoder capable of performing transformed block matching andmotion compensated prediction is provided. Consequently, the videodecoder of the present invention can decode encoded picture dataobtained by implementing rapid and optimum motion compensatedprediction, into a complete picture.

Further, on addressing by the video decoder, the decoder can implementcomplex motion prediction including various motion for decoding, whichenables to reproduce the picture having smoother motion.

1. A video decoding method for decoding a bitstream of video datacomprising the following steps: information receiving step for receivinginformation of a position of picture portion to which motioncompensation is applied and information of a number of correspondingmotion vectors and each value of the corresponding motion vectors,characterized by corresponding pel determining step for computing aprediction picture sample pel position corresponding to each pel withinsaid position of picture portion in case that the number ofcorresponding motion vectors is three, using following procedure:transforming a left upper corner coordinate value of a circumscribingrectangle within said picture portion by using a first motion vectorreceived; obtaining a provisional right upper corner coordinate value ofthe circumscribing rectangle by extending to make the distance betweensaid left upper corner coordinate and the provisional right upper cornercoordinate be power of 2, transforming said provisional right uppercorner coordinate value based on a second motion vector received, andobtaining a first virtual coordinate value as a result; obtaining aprovisional left lower corner coordinate value of the circumscribingrectangle by extending to make the distance between said left uppercorner coordinate and the provisional left lower corner coordinate bepower of 2, transforming said provisional left lower corner coordinatebased on a third motion vector received, and obtaining a second virtualcoordinate value as a result; obtaining a transformation equation havingthe transformed coordinate values including the first virtual coordinatevalue and the second virtual coordinate value in a numerator and adistance from said left upper corner coordinate value to saidprovisional right upper corner coordinate value and a distance from saidleft upper corner coordinate value to said provisional left lower cornercoordinate value in a denominator; and computing a pel position based onbit shifting operation for division by using the transformation equationhaving the numerator and the denominator.